


Mary's Hands

by renaissancefleabag



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: But very gay for each other nonetheless, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Non-magical AU, Original Mary Wardwell - Freeform, Pre-Posession Mary Wardwell, Slow Burn, Smut, They are both non-magical, they are both so soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2019-11-03 15:27:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 113,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17880350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renaissancefleabag/pseuds/renaissancefleabag
Summary: Zelda finds herself captivated by her massage therapist, Mary Wardwell.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am so weak for pre-possession Mary Wardwell. Like, she is wife goals. I would have loved to have seen a little more of her, and think that her and Zelda would be so soft and lovely together. Also, I haven't written fanfic in ages, so please bear with me.
> 
> I own nothing!

Zelda caught herself daydreaming, and was shaken out of her musings by the clock chiming, noting that it was 3:00 PM. Had she really been daydreaming for the past 30 minutes? She scrambled to put her work paperwork away, making sure nothing bearing the personal information of the deceased or his family was showing. As she stood up from her desk, she stretched, wincing at the tension in her neck, and reached up a hand to massage the angry muscles. Nothing seemed to help the pain these days. She had tried so many pills, salves, and oils, and nothing seemed to help. The pain was so deep, and often times it left her in a foul mood, her muscles spasming by the end of each day. She sighed as she made her way upstairs to her bedroom. Sabrina had booked her a massage at the parlour in town as an early birthday present. She had been very reticent to the idea of a stranger putting their hands all over her while she lay vulnerable, and exposed, but the pain had convinced her otherwise. This was a last resort. Once in her room, she went to her closet and retrieved her purse, and headed back downstairs to the coat rack near the front door. Her neck even hurt as she reached for and put on her warmest coat. _I sure hope this massage is going to be worth it_ , she thought, as she went through and locked the front door.

An icy blast greeted Zelda as she made the short journey from the front door of her house to her car. It was going to snow, and soon at that. The drive into town wasn’t too bad. The Spellmans did live somewhat on the outskirts of town, but the drive was always just right. They lived far away enough for their privacy, but close enough in case of an emergency. Zelda let her mind wander, and she drove down winding country roads, through the barren woods of Greendale. She switched on the radio to the local classical station, and was pleased to hear the opening strains of Bach’s second Cello Suite in d minor playing. The plaintive notes of the prelude resonated with Zelda, and she got lost in the music as she continued the rest of her journey into town.

The massage parlor was located downtown, near Dr. Cerberus’s, a kitschy bookstore that Hilda worked at part-time. Zelda parked her car in front of the small turn-of-the-century style house, and stepped out into the frigid air. She pulled her coat tighter around herself as she made her way up to the front door. There was a cheery sign on the front door that said “Welcome To Healing Hands Massage! Please Come In!” to which Zelda rolled her eyes at as she yanked the door open and stepped inside. The inside of the parlour was decorated like a home, the waiting area like a family sitting room. The room was warm and cozy, and there was a small fireplace that was lit, warming the room. She noticed some stacks of magazines sitting on some of the end tables in between the couches and high backed chairs that lined the room. She also noticed a Victorian style desk that had a sign-in sheet attached to a clipboard, as well as a small bell. As she leaned over to tap the bell, she noticed a framed certificate behind the desk bearing the therapists credentials. _Mary Wardwell_ ….Zelda muttered the name under her breath and reached for the pen that was sitting next to the sign-in sheet. As she signed her name, she didn’t notice that someone had entered the room.

“Hi there! You must be Zelda”

She looked up to see a small, lithe woman smiling at her. The woman had her thick brown hair pulled into an updo and was wearing large glasses. She was dressed comfortably, in black yoga pants, running shoes, and a black polo shirt that had “Healing Hands Massage” embroidered on the left breast. The thing that drew Zelda in, though, was the woman’s beautiful face. The incredibly sharp cheekbones, the dimples in her very defined cheeks, the crest and fall of her brow line and nose, and her large blue eyes.

“Hi...yes, I am” Zelda worked out, realizing she had been staring. _How are her eyes so blue?_

“I’m Mary Wardwell. I am the owner of this parlour, as well as the main massage therapist. We also have other therapists that work here, but since it is the weekend and you are our only customer today, I will be giving you your massage today.” Mary smiled.

“Thank you,” Zelda replied, looking around the room at nothing in particular. She forced herself to look away from those eyes, out of fear she would start to stare and lose herself in them.

“If you are ready, we can get started. It’s just right this way” Mary gestured to the hallway that was behind her.

Zelda forced a smile and followed the woman as she turned to direct Zelda to one of the therapy rooms. They made a right turn down the hallway, and stopped at a room that was two doors down the hallway. Mary stood back as Zelda entered. There was lovely, relaxing music coming from a set of speakers located in the corner of the room, as well as several candles burning. There was a settee located in the corner of the room, next to a coat hook.

“You can get undressed and just slip under the sheet on the table, and I will be right back” Mary said, blushing a little as she reached into the room for the doorknob, shutting the door. 

Zelda looked around again and experienced a slight twinge of anxiety. She had had her fair share of lovers in the past, but sharing her body with a complete stranger, them putting their hands on her, made her slightly uneasy. The thought of the constant pain in her neck snapped her out of her reverie, though, and she began to undress. She hung up her coat on the coat rack, and folded each item with care. She made sure to tuck her black bra underneath her dress, as she didn’t want her personal underthings on display to a stranger. She shivered slightly as she went to lift up the sheet on the massage table, and slipped underneath. The table was heated, and Zelda sighed in relief at the warmth that was radiating from the table. She lay on her back for a few moments, just listening to the soothing music that was playing, willing herself to relax. There was a small knock at the door, and it opened a crack.

“Is it okay to come in now?” Mary asked 

“Yes” Zelda replied 

Mary re-entered the room, and closed the door behind her softly. She carried a bowl with her, and a bottle of what Zelda assumed was oil or lotion of some sort. Mary rolled a stool out from under the massage table and sat down at Zelda’s head, resting the bowl on the small end table behind the head of the bed. 

“So, tell me what brought you here today? Is this a massage for relaxation, for pain relief, or….?”

“Well, my niece bought me this massage as an early birthday gift”, Zelda replied. “I have horrible neck pain that bothers me every day, and I cannot get any relief.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Hopefully I will be able to help you” Mary replied, as she squeezed some of the salve into the small bowl she had brought with her. “

“I can just focus on your neck and upper back today, if you like?”

“That would be marvelous” Zelda replied, still feeling uncertain about what was about to take place. _It’s just a massage Zelda, no big deal. People get these done all the time._

Mary rubbed some of the salve between her hands and turned back to face Zelda, and noticed the woman was a bit uneasy. 

“I am going to touch your shoulders now” she announced, before scooting her stool closer, and gently placing her hands on either side of Zelda’s shoulders. She could feel the tension radiating from the other woman as she began to gently massage the muscles of her neck and shoulders. Zelda’s eyes were open, and she looked back and forth a bit, unsure of what to do. 

“You can close your eyes if it makes you more comfortable” Mary said in a soft voice “sometimes it is a little uncomfortable for some first-time patients, because they think they have to keep their eyes open the whole time and chat with their therapist”. Mary continued to work out the muscles of Zelda’s shoulders with her thumbs, swiping in small circles across the knots. Zelda took several deep breaths, trying to adjust to the feeling of a non-lover touching her. She eventually felt her eyes close on their own, and just listened to the sounds of her own breathing. She pictured Mary’s lovely angular face, as she saw it in the daylight of the parlour lobby. The striking blue eyes, the sharp cheekbones. She really was a different looking woman. Zelda had come to a place in her life where she appreciated beauty where she saw it, regardless of gender, and Mary Wardwell was beautiful. Adorably so. _I shouldn’t be thinking such things of a stranger I just met._ Zelda corrected herself, and focused back on her breathing again. Her heart was racing, as she tried to slow down her breathing, not used to having touch in her life. Mary could feel the woman trying to calm herself down, saw the rise and fall of her lovely shoulder, and felt a pang of sympathy. She knew that it wasn’t always easy for some of her customers to put themselves in a place of vulnerability. She studied the woman beneath her as she tried to will the angry muscles to calm down. Zelda Spellman was a lovely woman, she noted. Lovely red hair framed her beautiful, pleasing face. Mary’s eyes were drawn to the small dimple in Zelda’s chin, and she smiled to herself as she continued to work out some more knots. Zelda let out a small, soft sigh, as Mary began to move her hands in lighter, longer strokes across her shoulders. She could see that Zelda had relaxed considerably since she had started. 

“Okay, we are just going to have you turn over” Mary muttered in a soft voice. Zelda hadn’t realized that she had been in a peaceful, trance-like state, with the music in the background and Mary tending to her neck and shoulders. She opened her eyes to see Mary looking down at her with a small smile on her face.

  
“I’m just going to move over here to the side and lift up the sheet so you can turn over, okay?” Mary moved over to the side of the massage table and went to grab the sheet that covered Zelda, looking away as she did so. Zelda flipped herself over and nearly moaned in delight at the feeling of the heated massage table against the front of her body.

“How are you enjoying it so far” Mary asked in a soft voice

“This. Is. _Divine_ ,” Zelda replied, her words a bit muffled. Mary looked down at the silky red hair that spilled across the creamy white of Zelda’s back. _This woman truly is exquisite_ , she thought to herself. She moved to the head of the massage table and poured some more of the salve into her palms. She rubbed her hands together slightly before reaching to place them on Zelda’s upper back.

“You let me know if at any point it is too painful for you, or if you want me to use more or less pressure, okay?”

“Mhmmff” Zelda responded, her face fully sunken into the headrest. Mary began to gently knead the muscles of Zelda’s back. This was her favorite part of giving massages, because you could lose yourself in the rhythm of it all. The push with the heel of her hands, and the pull when she drew her hands, palms down, back across the person’s back.

The time seemed to fly by, and Zelda was nearly asleep, floating off into a delicious, completely relaxed state. She forgot where she was until she felt Mary’s hands withdraw from her back slowly. One hand came to rest on her shoulder, rubbing in small circles like that of a parent trying to wake their sleeping child.

“Alright Zelda, take as long as you need to get back up and get your clothes on. There is a bottle of water on the table in the corner for you, if you are interested. I’ll just be waiting for you outside.”

Getting up off of the warm massage table was torturous. Zelda had never felt this relaxed and pain-free in her life, some chance experiences in her college years aside. The world shifted for a minute and Zelda was left lightheaded as she sat up, moving too quickly. She raised a hand to her forehead and glanced over to where Mary had left the water. She slipped off of the table and padded over to grab the bottle, not realizing how thirsty she was. After a few long sips, Zelda began to dress herself again. She kept thinking about how wonderful Mary’s hands felt as they worked out the weary muscles of her neck. _I wish I could have a massage like that every day_ Zelda thought. She shook herself from her musings once she realized she was just standing in the massage room. Mary was waiting for her. She reluctantly gathered her belongings, and made her way back out to the “lobby” of the house. She saw Mary behind the front desk writing something. Zelda once again took in the woman’s striking features, this time from a different angle. She noticed a lock of brown hair had fallen out of their place in the woman’s perfectly coiffed updo. She let her eyes follow the curls and waves of the strand of brunette hair, all the way to the sharp cheekbone it rested against. Zelda’s eyes drifted down to Mary’s pink lips, and she gulped. Mary was _gorgeous_.

“So, do you want to schedule another visit?” Mary asked, her blue eyes looking up from behind her glasses. The sound of Mary’s voice shook Zelda out of her daydream, as she got caught staring at the woman sitting at the desk in front of her.

“Uhm….ah, yes.” Zelda replied, trying to regain her composure with an air of aloofness. “What does your schedule look like this time next week?”

Mary smiled, enjoying the obvious effect she had on Zelda.

“Well, I can always put you in for this time next week, if that works for you?”

“That would be fine, thank you…..oh! And let me give you the gift certificate for the massage! I wouldn’t want you to think I was getting away with a free massage.”

“It’s okay. I would have given you one for free anyways. You seem like someone who can be trusted” Mary smiled up at Zelda, the dimples in her cheeks showing.

Zelda felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of Mary’s smile. _What is happening? I have got to get it together!_

“Okay, so next week, at the same time then?”

“Yes. I will see you next week. Don’t forget to try to take it easy for the rest of the day. Make sure you have a lot of fluids, as well as a nice hot bath.”

“Will do,” Zelda replied, pulling the belt around her coat closed. 

“Have a great week Zelda!” Mary chirped

“You too.” Zelda was halfway across the room when she replied, her cheeks slightly reddened over the fact that she was letting herself get so worked up over a stranger. Once outside, she took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the crisp winter air. She tried to quiet her mind, to not think of anything particular as she got into her car and made her way away from the small house; however, all of Zelda’s thoughts kept coming back to Mary Wardwell, and the way her hands felt as they made their way across her body.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Zelda has a Soft Moment, Mary is a sweetheart, and hands get held.

The pain in Zelda’s neck subsided over the next few days, but she knew the relief would only last so long. She had been thinking about Mary Wardwell’s hands non-stop since her first massage for other reasons that weren’t pain-related. Now she just craved the other woman’s hands working the tension out of her shoulders and neck. Zelda was currently sitting in the living room of her house, nursing a glass of whiskey. It was early afternoon and she had spent most of the morning doing manual labor around the house. She had made space for a new shipment of caskets that had been ordered for future customers, and then moved said caskets, her neck tensing up the whole time. She then spent some time in the morgue, helping Ambrose with some last-minute bodies. The work in the morgue had really caused her pain, bending over in the cold room for several hours. In addition to the pain from physical exertion, one of the bodies that came into the mortuary over the weekend was a young girl, about the same age as Sabrina. She even had blonde hair, though styled in a different style. Zelda had ended up drinking herself to sleep the night they received the body of the poor girl. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Sabrina lying there, on the slab in the mortuary. In the middle of the night she had snuck down the hall to Sabrina’s room, and watched her niece as she slept, making sure she was still breathing. Panic had gripped Zelda at the thought of losing Sabrina. She was incredibly strict with her niece, most of their conversations ending with Zelda reprimanding her and Sabrina storming off; however, Zelda loved Sabrina more than anything. She and Hilda had raised her since birth, and Zelda saw her as her own child. Now, as she sipped her whiskey, she tried to relax her mind and not dwell on the sadness that had settled over her during the weekend. taking deep breaths in hopes that it could ease the pain. She hadn’t even bothered to take off her shoes. Her feet were up on the couch, bottle of whiskey tucked in next to her, and she laid her head back, willing relaxation to bestow itself upon her. She could feel the familiar throbbing at the base of her skull that indicated the start of another headache. Tears prickled behind her eyes as she tried to roll her shoulders in an attempt to ease the tension that had built up there. She didn’t hear the front door open as Hilda came home.

“Zelds? You okay?” Zelda heard her sister’s shoes as she made her way across the room to her. 

“I’m fine” Zelda replied gruffly, not wanting to admit that she was in pain. Wincing, she sat up quickly, trying to appear as if all was fine. 

“It’s okay if you are in pain Zelda. You don’t have to be strong all the time.” 

“Hmph.” 

Hilda shrugged her shoulders and made her way to the kitchen. Zelda returned to lean back on the couch as she heard Hilda puttering around the kitchen, putting on the tea kettle and humming to herself. A few minutes of silence passed, and Zelda heard Hilda turning the dial on the phone, then she started speaking in some hushed tones, as if she didn’t want Zelda to hear. _That’s odd_ , Zelda thought. Usually Hilda was completely bubbly and bright while talking on the phone. She put it out of her mind, and decided to move to sit near the fireplace, picking up an unlit cigarette and a lighter on her way. With a sigh, she leaned back into the chair, lit her cigarette, and picked up the most recent edition of _El Mundo_. It was always nice to know what was taking place in other countries. Zelda continued to read, and let herself get lost in the Spanish language, not noticing the time slip by. There was a knock at the door, and Zelda looked up, irritated. Hilda was sitting on the chair across from her, knitting the yarn a sickly, bubble gum shade of pink. She hadn’t noticed her sister take a seat across from her, too enthralled in her newspaper. 

“Do you think you could get it?” Hilda asked pleadingly with an apologetic smile “I am just in the middle of a row.”

Zelda rolled her eyes, and placed her newspaper and cigarette aside, getting up from her seat to go and answer the door. Right before she got to the door, she pulled her shoulders back, and put on an air of confidence and disinterest. Zelda pulled open the door to find a bundled up Mary Wardwell standing on her front porch with a huge smile on her face. She noticed the other woman had a portable massage table slung over her shoulder. 

“Hi Zelda!”

“M-Mary. Hi” Zelda was thoroughly taken aback. “How…...what…..”

“Your sister called me. She asked if I did in-home massages, which I do. She wanted to know if I had any cancellations for today, and I did, so I decided to come over.” 

Zelda was still dumbfounded, but opened the door some more, allowing Mary space to enter the house. As the brunette entered the house, Zelda felt a slight flutter in her stomach as Mary’s arm brushed past hers. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _Get a hold of yourself Zelda!_

“So, did you have a specific room that you wanted to use? Somewhere private, preferably?” 

Zelda shook her head to clear her thoughts, not realizing she had been standing in her own doorway, staring out into the cold afternoon. 

“Um, yes. We have one of our guest bedrooms just upstairs, here” Zelda gestured to the stairs as she made her way up the stairs, hoping Mary was following. She took a left once at the top of the stairs, and led Mary down the hall to one of their unused guest bedrooms. She pushed open the door, turned on the lights and backed out of Mary’s way so she could get the massage table in through the door. 

“I’ll just get out of your way” 

“Oh I won’t be but five minutes or so. You can stay and talk to me while I set up” Mary grinned at Zelda as she set the table down to lean up against the wall. Zelda watched as the other woman pulled off her scarf and black coat, moving to place them across the bed that was in the corner of the room. She placed her bag next to her coat and then turned  her attention to the massage table. When she went to extend the legs of the table, she crouched down, a small stripe of skin showing between her black shirt and her leggings. Zelda crossed her arms and looked away, blushing slightly when Mary stood back up and moved around to the other side of the table. Zelda decided to try to make an attempt at small talk. 

“So uh, how long have you been doing this?” 

“Massages? Well, I’ve had the parlour for about 10 years now. Before that I actually was a high school teacher.” 

“Interesting. What did you teach?” 

“I taught social studies. I actually studied history in college. I have always been interested in the history of Greendale, and the founding families who started this town.”

_A very interesting woman indeed_. 

Mary now had the table completely set up, and she was laying out sheets over the table. 

“If you want Zelda, you can get undressed and get under the sheets. I’ll just step out.” Mary moved from behind the table and reached to pull the bedroom door closed as she exited the room. 

Zelda let out another sigh as she began to remove her clothing, slowly folding each item with care and placing them on the bed. It had been a long day and she was looking forward to this massage. Her thoughts turned to Hilda and she felt a surge of affection, tears forming in her eyes. She wasn’t always the nicest to Hilda, and yet the other woman still was so in tune to her, always going out of her way to help her and take care of her. She truly would be lost without her sister. Zelda took a deep breath and walked over to the massage table, crawling underneath the sheets. She stared at the ceiling, her eyes tracing the patterns carved into the wood of the ceiling. She let her mind wander to her work schedule for the next day, and the things she needed to do around the house. 

“Zelda?” Mary’s voice asked from the other side of the door “can I come in?”

“Yes” Zelda replied, snuggling a bit further underneath the sheet. When Mary entered the room, Zelda felt herself tense up immediately, worry starting to settle in. Mary didn’t notice this, as she was reaching into her bag for a small jar of salve. When she opened it, the scent of peppermint and lavender washed over Zelda, calming her down just a bit. 

“I’m just going to start with your shoulders again, like last time” Mary spoke, her voice soothing Zelda’s frayed nerves. She could hear Mary rubbing her hands together, spreading out the minty salve in preparation to spread it over Zelda’s neck. When her hands did make contact with Zelda’s neck, the redhead couldn’t help but let out a small hiss, the tense muscles spasming. 

“Everything okay?” Mary asked, slowly working her thumbs across the back of Zelda’s shoulders. She took in the face of the woman lying on the table beneath her, watched the lines of tension that had made their way onto her face. 

“Mhmmn” Zelda replied, not wanting to give away any ideas as to how she was really feeling.

“You are quite tense today. I’m glad your sister called me.” 

Zelda didn’t reply, but just let herself get lost in the feeling of Mary’s hands working their way over her shoulders. She sighed as the brunette’s deft hands made their way under her head, massaging the back of her head, and then the top of her scalp. The soft scratching motions Mary was making through Zelda’s hair lulled her into a relaxed state, as some tension left her body. It just felt _so_ good to have someone play with her hair. 

“Mmmn” Zelda let out a moan, and within a few seconds her eyes flew open, suddenly embarrassed. 

Mary smiled down at her, watching as a gorgeous red flush spread over Zelda’s cheeks and chest. 

“I’m sorry” Zelda said quietly, her cheeks burning. 

“It’s okay. There is nothing to be ashamed of” Mary responded, moving her hands slowly from Zelda’s hair. She turned away from Zelda briefly to grab the small jar of salve. While Mary turned away, Zelda brought up her hands to cover her face, not used to being embarrassed. When Mary turned back, she saw that Zelda was still covering her face, and took pity on the woman. 

“Hey. Zelda. There really isn’t anything to be embarrassed about” Mary said softly, as she placed a warm hand on Zelda’s shoulder, her thumb gently caressing the creamy skin beneath it. Zelda slowly moved her hands away from her face, and nodded gently, her eyes now open, but studying the other side of the room. She didn’t dare look up into Mary’s blue eyes. 

“I’m actually going to have you just turn over now, so I can work on your back” Mary said, politely looking away as her hands lifted up the sheet that covered Zelda’s naked body. Zelda groaned as she turned over so that her face was now pressed into the U-shaped headrest. Mary pulled the sheet down to Zelda’s waist before reaching to brush Zelda’s hair off of her shoulders. It felt like Mary took her time, letting her fingers drag just a split second longer than necessary across Zelda’s back. The intimate movement made gave Zelda a quick chill, as her body briefly shivered. She could hear Mary rubbing some more salve into her hands, as she anticipated the other woman rubbing away all of her aches and pains. When Mary’s hands did finally make contact with her aching muscles, it was like a load had been lifted off of her shoulders. Zelda hadn’t realized just how much she tension she had been holding in her back. She felt her eyes water as some of the pain began to subside from her back, the salve leaving a pleasant cooling feeling behind. Time seemed to stop as Zelda felt herself sink deeper and deeper into the table, becoming practically limp and boneless underneath Mary’s skilled hands. Suddenly, Mary changed the angle at which she was working Zelda’s muscles, and she came across a particularly tender and tense area near Zelda’s spine, just where her left shoulder and neck met. She heard the sharp intake of air beneath her as she took her time working out the difficult spot. 

“Oh, honey, it is really tense here. It might hurt a little. I’m sorry” Mary said in a caring tone, not wanting to hurt the redhead. She switched from the circular motions she had been doing to just pushing down and applying pressure to the top of the knot, before smoothing it out. She repeated this again and again, until she felt the muscle finally giving in under her hands and softening, when she noticed heard a sniffle. 

“Are you okay Zelda?” she asked, worried that she had hurt the other woman. Zelda nodded her head up and down as best she could with her face pressed into the headrest, before quickly shaking her head back and forth. Mary slowed the movements of her hands once the other woman’s shoulders started to shake with sobs. Her eyes grew wide with concern as she stopped massaging and placed a gentle hand on Zelda’s upper back, slowly rubbing in circles. She knew that sometimes people could experience emotional release as a result of a massage, and that people could either dissolve into fits of laughter or floods of tears as a result of muscle memory. It was normal, and yet, she still found herself worried about the woman on her table. Zelda hadn’t responded just yet, but she did move to sit up, turning over as she did, pulling the sheet up with her. Mary quietly went over to her bag and drew out a small packet of tissues, before moving back to Zelda’s side, her hand once again coming up to rub the woman’s back. She held out the packet of tissues to Zelda, and watched as the woman reached out with a shaky hand to draw one out of the packet and wipe at her eyes. 

“I’m sorry” Zelda slurred, sniffling as she tried to pull herself together. 

“It is okay Zelda. It happens. You have nothing to be sorry for” Mary made sure to make eye contact with the other woman as she reassured her. She felt her heart lurch as the other woman looked at her with damp, red-rimmed eyes. Even now, with a red and tear-stained face, Mary found herself captivated by Zelda. She was _breathtaking_. Mary gulped and licked her lips before speaking again.

“I know we don’t know each other that well, but do you want to talk about it?” 

There was a moment of silence, and Mary feared she had overstepped a line. 

“Well…..” Zelda was reticent, but took a deep breath, and continued to speak “as I’m sure you noticed when you drove here today, my family runs a mortuary and cemetery. In addition to my sister, Hilda, we also are the legal guardians of my niece, Sabrina, and my nephew Ambrose. Ambrose usually helps me here, but both he and Sabrina were out with their boyfriends all weekend. On Thursday, we got a call that a new body was coming in. She got here on Friday. When I saw her, she looked just like….” Zelda’s voice trailed off and she closed her eyes, her bottom lip trembling. Mary reached out to grab the woman’s hand and caressed it between both of hers. 

“When I saw her,” Zelda’s voice cracked, “she looked just like Sabrina. She was around the same age.” Fresh tears started to make their way down Zelda’s cheeks. “It could have easily been Sabrina” Zelda was now crying in earnest 

“Hey, hey” Mary said softly, as she crouched down so she could look up at Zelda, keeping her hand in hers. 

“It’s okay Zelda, it’s okay. Sabrina is safe. She is alive and well.” 

“I know” Zelda replied with a whisper. “It’s just that we don’t really get along these days, and I could never forgive myself if something happened to her and our last words to each other were out of anger.” 

Mary could feel her own eyes watering as she looked up at Zelda. She reached to take both of the woman’s hands in her own and tried to offer her some comfort. 

“I’m sure Sabrina knows how much you love her. I can tell that you love her a lot, and are doing the best you can.”

Zelda sniffled in response, and brushed her thumbs over Mary’s fingers, which were still wrapped around both of her hands. She sat up a bit straighter, and smiled at Mary before looking down at their conjoined hands.

“Thank you, Mary. You know, I am normally not like this. I haven’t been sleeping well since we received the body of that young girl. Her funeral is scheduled for this Sunday.” 

The look of concern returned to Mary’s face as she lightly brushed her thumbs over the back of Zelda’s hands once again. 

“Hmmn. Well, I can’t speak for the tomorrow, or Saturday, but I know that at least tonight you should be able to sleep better, now that I’ve worked out some of the tough spots on your back.” 

Zelda didn’t respond, and instead continued to stare down at their conjoined hands, her eyes looking glassy. 

“If you want, Zelda, I can add some extra time on your massage?” Mary looked up at Zelda, with a crease between her eyebrows. 

“Mmn. No, thank you. That won’t be necessary.” Zelda replied rather quickly, slowly removing her hands from Mary’s. “I appreciate the offer, though. Truly, I do.” 

Mary could tell that Zelda was putting her walls back up, shutting everyone out. She stood up from the kneeling position she was in, and backed up a bit from the table. Her gaze fell to her feet as she began wringing her hands together, suddenly aware of the intimacy of the situation. _The only thing between Zelda and I is a thin sheet_. This thought echoed inside of Mary’s head as she felt her cheeks get warm. 

“I will just step outside and let you get dressed” Mary said as she made her way to the door, trying to remove herself from what could potentially escalate into an awkward situation. Zelda let out a sigh and immediately turned around once Mary had left the room. She crossed her arms and began to rub her hands up and down over her her upper arms, as if she were cold. She wasn’t cold though. In fact, she was the opposite. _What are you doing? Being overly sentimental and foolish over some strange woman you’ve just met!_ Zelda chided herself, and pulled her now relaxed shoulders back, and began to redress herself. While reaching for her bra, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She moved closer to the mirror, and studied her face, still red from crying, marks from the massage table headrest around the center of her face. She took in the slight wrinkles on her forehead, between her eyes, the worry lines around her mouth. With a disapproving noise, she looked away from the mirror, and returned to the task of redressing herself. Once she was fully dressed, she slowly opened the bedroom door, slightly relieved to not see Mary waiting in the hallway. _She must be downstairs with Hilda_. Zelda walked down the hallway, and started to descend the stairs. Mary was coming up the stairs at the same moment. 

“Oh! Zelda! Here, I just have some water for you.” 

Mary held out a glass filled with cool water and reached it up to where Zelda stood, a few steps above her.

“Thank you” Zelda replied, not sure where to look.

“Well, I’m just going to get upstairs and clean my stuff up” Mary said with a small awkward laugh. She bounced up the stairs past Zelda in a chipper manner, Zelda still standing dumbfounded on the same step. She took a sip from the glass of water before continuing down the stairs. She wasn’t really sure where to wait for Mary to be finished, so she just settled for pacing awkwardly near the front door. Her back was turned towards the stairs, so she didn’t notice Mary descending the stairs until she spoke 

“Well, that’s everything!” Mary said, with a happy sigh as she made her way over to where Zelda stood near the front door. 

“Thank you again, Mary.” 

“It’s no problem! I am always happy to help” 

Zelda forced a small smile before taking another sip from the glass. She swallowed, and took a deep breath before speaking again. 

“I will call you later to schedule my next appointment.” 

“Of course! And just so you know, if you ever can’t make it to my place, I can always make house calls.” Mary’s dimples appeared with her beaming smile. Zelda’s heart rate began to speed up slightly. 

“Um,” she faltered, quickly trying to change the subject “I still have to pay you.” 

“Don’t worry about it” the other woman chimed “your sister already took care of everything when she called. Besides, I would have done it for free anyways.” 

The room suddenly felt too hot, and Zelda reached for the door knob, not really sure how to continue the conversation. _Surely I cannot be getting unsettled by a woman I barely know. Maybe it is just aging hormones….or something._ As she opened the door, she backed up so Mary, the puffy coat she was wearing, and her massage table could fit through the door. 

“Bye!”  Mary looked back at Zelda and gave her a little wave before moving to descend the steps on the front porch. 

Zelda forced another smile and immediately closed the door. She leaned against the door and held her hand to her forehead as she listened to the sounds of Mary opening and closing her car doors. She listened for the sound of her car starting, and driving away, before she moved from her spot leaning against the front door. 

Hilda had been walking from the living room to the kitchen, and did a double take when she noticed her sister leaning against the front door flustered, with her eyes closed. She just smiled and hummed to herself as she went to prepare dinner. 

Zelda, oblivious to Hilda’s observations of the moment she just had, quickly decided that she needed another cigarette to calm down. She pulled her shoulders back, held her head a bit higher, and went to the living room to do just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the whole thing about emotional release through massage is totally true (though I know it sounds a bit out there). I had a teacher once in an acting class who talked about how he had taken a class where they did bodywork via the Alexander Technique and how some people would burst out laughing and/or crying in his class when their body was placed in a certain position. Decided to see if that also happened for people getting massages and it can!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The funeral happens, and a familiar face is in attendance

Zelda had fallen asleep easily after Mary’s massage on Thursday night. It was easy for her to drift off, thoughts of the other woman’s hands caressing her troubles away. That only lasted for so long. Though Zelda did have less pain in her shoulders now, each day leading up to the funeral she got less and less sleep. She was lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She hadn’t been able to fall back asleep after waking up from an anxiety-fueled nightmare. She hadn’t had one as bad as this in a considerable amount of time. In the dream, Zelda had woken up on the couch in her living room. She seemed to be alone in her house, which was soundless and strangely lit in purple and blue hues. She walked around the house, from room to room, calling her family members’ names, not finding anyone. She couldn’t even find her beloved dog, Vinegar Tom, nor Sabrina’s cat, Salem. She decided to go down to the morgue, opting to use the small door underneath their main staircase. As she made her way downstairs and opened the door, Zelda gasped and held onto the door frame for support. Zelda’s knees wobbled and she felt bile rising in her throat at the sight of the dead bodies of Hilda, Ambrose, and Sabrina lying on the slabs in the morgue. All three bodies were pale, and she could see the stitches over the Y-incisions that decorated each of their chests. Suddenly, all three of her family members sat up and turned their heads towards where Zelda was standing. They opened their eyes at the same time, revealing inky black orbs. Zelda’s stomach turned. 

“You did this! It is all your fault!” the garbled voices of her family members chanted out in a monotone chorus. Zelda backed up and turned to run back up the stairs. As she stumbled up the stairs, she tripped, hitting her shins. She frantically continued to crawl up the stairs on her hands and knees when all of a sudden, the stairs turned into a slide, and Zelda heard a demonic growling noise as she now slid backwards, struggling to grab onto the banister railing. Her hand grabbed one as she slid and she jerked to a stop, now dangling by a sweat covered hand. The small stairwell suddenly get scorchingly hot. As she turned around to look behind her through the doorway to the morgue, a huge fire was now coming through the morgue door. Beads of sweat made their way down Zelda’s face, and mixed with the silent tears that had been pouring from her eyes. Her nightgown now fully drenched in sweat as she held on for dear life. The growling got louder, and Zelda noticed through the waves of heat and flames that there was a goat like figure rising up out of the flames. The huge curved horns protruded from a skull, rotting flesh hanging off of it. The head was situated on what appeared to be the body of a man, the hands ending in sharp nails. The beast reached out a hairy hand and grabbed Zelda’s ankle. Zelda frantically tried to hold onto the railing, tried to reach for the next railing above her to escape, but it was no use. The beast pulled her sharply off of the stairs and back into the flames, as Zelda cried out” 

 _“NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”_  

The dream had shaken Zelda to her very core. Her eyes shot open as she gasped for breath. The nightgown she was actually wearing was sweaty and stuck to her, as it was in the dream. The heavy Victorian covers that were over Zelda suddenly felt like too much, and she flung them back as she sat up, panting. Her stomach turned as she suddenly jumped from bed and rushed to the bathroom. She burst through the door and fell to her knees in front of the toilet. She coughed as she emptied the meager contents of her stomach. 

“Ugh” Zelda groaned, as she spit into the toilet before leaning back, panting. There wasn’t much to come up aside from a little bit of whiskey and tea. Zelda stood up shakily and flushed the toilet, holding the back of her hand to her forehead. She moved over to the the sink and turned on the cold water tap. The cool water cooled down Zelda’s hands, and she splashed some onto her face before taking a small sip and rinsing her mouth out. 

 _Just breathe. In, and out. It was just a dream. It wasn’t real._  

After Zelda had collected herself as best she could, she made her way back to her bedroom. She pulled her sweaty nightgown over her head and threw it to the corner of the room, now settling back under the covers in just her underpants. There was no way she was falling back asleep after a dream like that.

Now, it was 6 AM, the day of the funeral, and Zelda had hardly gotten more than a few hours of sleep. Deciding that sleep wasn’t going to come to her anytime soon, Zelda sighed and got up from the bed, getting ready for the day. She showered quickly, not really feeling able to relax and enjoy the warm water. Afterwards, she decided to put on extra makeup, so that her family wouldn’t see the evidence of her nearly sleepless night. She put on one of her favorite dresses, a navy blue dress with a white lacy collar that went high up around her neck. Now at her vanity, she pushed a bit of her hair behind her right ear, and reached for her pearl necklaces and bracelets. After a few spritzes of her favorite perfume, Zelda figured she was normal looking enough to face her family when they woke up. She made her way downstairs and lit a cigarette before preparing some coffee for herself. It was going to be a long day.

Zelda spent most of the morning keeping busy and pretending everything was okay, not really stopping long enough for her family to keep probing her with questions. She had gone through their small chapel and dusted everything, making sure every pew was in line. Ambrose and Hilda were in the basement preparing to move the casket upstairs so that the family of the deceased could have some time to view the body in private before the funeral started. Zelda now moved around the living room, making sure everything was in order. She heard the noise of someone running down the stairs, and looked up from fluffing a pillow on the couch to see Sabrina run into the room, a huge smile on her face. 

“I’m going to go hang out with Harvey, Roz, and Susie, Auntie Zee. I’ll be back by dinner time!” 

“Sabrina! Please be careful.” Zelda answered a little too quickly, cursing the slight wobble in her voice. Sabrina would know that something was up. She always knew when something wasn’t right. It was one of the things that Zelda loved about her niece, how she was so naturally intune to others; however, it didn’t bode well for Zelda when she was trying to hide her emotions. 

“Auntie, what’s wrong?” Sabrina asked, concern masking her face 

“Nothing.” Zelda replied sharply. “Just, please be careful, that’s all.” Zelda quickly averted her eyes back to the pillows on the couch, tears forming in them. When she looked back up Sabrina was now in front of her. The girl encircled Zelda in a hug and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Zelda involuntarily wrapped her arms around her niece, her body now shaking with silent sobs. She felt Sabrina rub her hand up and down her back in a comforting manner, before pulling back to look at her aunt with love. 

“I promise I will be careful.” Sabrina said softly 

All Zelda could do was nod, not trusting her voice at this moment. She leaned forward to kiss Sabrina on the forehead and held her face in her hands as she moved back. 

“It’s okay Auntie. I really will be okay.” Sabrina reached up to move her aunt’s hands from her face, lightly clasping them in her own.

“I will call you and Aunt Hilda to let you know when I get there, and I will call you to let you know when I am leaving. I promise.” 

Zelda nodded again. 

“I have to go now. Harvey is waiting outside!” Sabrina turned and rushed out of the room, in a flurry of red and blonde. Zelda wiped her eyes and sniffed, quickly trying to appear as if nothing had happened. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to center herself. 

“Zelda?” Hilda’s cheery face appeared around the corner. “Do you want something to eat before people start coming? The appetizers won’t be for a while, until after the funeral.” 

The thought of food made Zelda’s stomach churn with anxiety. She pushed her shoulders back and turned to look at her sister. 

“No, thank you Hilda. I am fine.” 

“Okay. Suit yourself.” 

There was still an hour before the funeral was to start, and Zelda had already cleaned, added more logs to the fireplaces, and straightened everything. There was nothing left for her to do except wait. So, she decided to smoke one more cigarette before the guests started to arrive. She opted for the back porch, not wanting to be seen by any arriving guests. Zelda leaned against the shingled wall of the house and lit her cigarette, closing her eyes as she took a long drag. She opened her eyes and took in the low, ominous fog rolling in across their property. Despite the grey skies, the birds still sang, and Zelda found herself relaxing just a bit as she listened to the sounds of their chirping. As she neared the end of her cigarette, she could hear the sound of car doors closing as guests arrived for the service. She took a deep breath, and bent down to stub out her cigarette before going back into the house. Once inside, she discreetly disposed of her cigarette and stood up straighter, knowing she would have to greet guests soon. She walked cautiously over to their small chapel and peeked in the door. The girl’s parents, the Beechers, were now looking into the casket. The mother was sobbing and reaching into the casket with one hand. The father was holding onto his wife, his shoulders shaking as well. Ambrose stood near the doorway with a somber look on his face. Zelda quickly pulled her head back out of the doorway, now leaning on the wall next to the door. She felt like she was intruding on a private moment. The family needed to have this moment alone. Zelda moved to look out the front door, and see if any other guests had arrived. So far, it was just the parents of the girl. _I have just enough time to brush my teeth and spritz on some perfume_ , she mused, quickly making her way upstairs.

After brushing her teeth and applying some more perfume, Zelda touched up her makeup, making sure that she looked better than she felt. When she was finished, she descended the stairs to see that more guests had arrived. She also noticed that a large poster that read _MEGHAN BEECHER - FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS_ with a picture of the girl was resting on an easel in their entryway. Some teenage girls were milling around the poster with Sharpies in hand, taking turns signing messages to Meghan’s family. Zelda moved to the entrance to the small chapel, greeting people with a small nod and sad smile as they entered. She continued to greet guests, let people know where the downstairs restroom was, and offered her condolences. This was always the easier part of funeral services. The hard part came once the actual service started. Zelda saw Hilda coming towards her, nodding, and they closed the doors to the chapel, making their way to the back of the room. 

There was a good sized turnout. Ambrose was at the front of the chapel, standing near the back door where they had brought in the casket. Zelda caught his eye and nodded, letting him know to give the family the go-ahead to start the service. She moved to sit in one of the chairs that was against the back wall for latecomers, and listened as the priest from Meghan’s family church got up to speak on his memories of Meghan. He kept his religious remarks short, ending by inviting the members of the congregation to share their memories of Meghan. Several high school students kept getting up, one after another, as well as some former teachers. Everyone had wonderful things to say about the poor girl, and how they wished they had more time to make more memories with her. Zelda’s eyes were watery the whole time. Time slipped by, and eventually the Mr. and Mrs. Beecher got up to speak. Zelda couldn’t stand the thought of potentially witnessing the parents fall apart while speaking about their child, and decided to quietly exit the chapel. She made her way out of the chapel and looked to her left to see a woman at the front door, her back turned as she closed the door. Zelda noticed the woman was wearing a black coat, wool stockings, and low black pumps. There were thick brunette curls falling down her back. When she turned around, Zelda was shocked to see that it was Mary, with a small crock pot between her hands. 

“Mary?” Zelda said, not quite believing that the woman was standing in her house yet again. She let her eyes trail over the woman, the perfectly curled hair, pinned back to one side as it cascaded down her back. Her glasses framing those beautiful blue eyes, red lipstick painted onto her perfect mouth. Zelda’s eyes lingered on Mary’s mouth before quickly turning towards the ground, suddenly embarrassed that she was staring at the other woman’s made up face. Mary smiled to herself, noticing the effect she had on the other woman, and walked forward. 

“Hey there. I just wanted to stop by and bring you this...” she moved the small crock pot in Zelda’s direction “as well as offer my condolences to the family.” 

“That is kind of you Mary. You didn’t have to do that.” Zelda offered a small smile as she took the pot from the other woman. She gestured with her head for Mary to follow her as she turned towards the direction of the kitchen. When they got to the kitchen, Zelda placed the small pot on the counter. 

“So, what do you have in here” she inquired, and she lifted the lid to the pot to look inside. An enticing aroma wafted out, making Zelda's mouth water. 

“Chicken noodle soup. I knew that today was going to be a hard day for you, and I figured that you wouldn’t have much time to make yourself something yummy to eat.” Mary blushed as she smiled, not knowing where to look. 

“Mmmn. It smells _delicious_. Thank you Mary. It means a lot.” 

“How are you holding up so far?” Mary asked. The concerned look from the other night was on her face again, her eyebrows pushed up, care in her blue eyes. 

“Well…” Zelda looked around to see if anyone was in the room. “It’s not been easy.”

She crossed her arms as she looked down at her feet, tears once again clouding her vision. Mary moved closer to Zelda and rubbed her hand up and down Zelda’s arm, trying to offer her some comfort. Zelda tilted her head back, trying to blink away the tears that had formed.

“I….um” some tears escaped and made their way down her cheeks “I haven’t been sleeping well, so, hah, there’s that….” _and it’s making me an emotional mess over every little thing._  

Mary moved closer to Zelda, and moved the hand that had been rubbing the redhead’s shoulder to now rub her back. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Mary asked in a soft, quiet, voice.

“Not really,” Zelda replied quickly, immediately regretting her tone of voice. 

Mary removed her hand from Zelda’s back and placed a bit of space in-between them. Zelda noticed a look of hurt on the other woman’s face, and felt bad. 

“I’m sorry. It’s been a long day. Would you like some tea or something?” 

“Tea would be nice, thank you.” Mary looked down at her now clasped hands, a blush spreading across her face. 

Zelda moved to put the kettle on, her back to Mary as she bent to check that the dial on the stove was set to the right number. Mary observed the way her hair shone in the light, the way the soft red curls and fell across the dark navy blue of her dress. She was so taken with just observing the redhead that she didn’t notice when Hilda entered the room. 

“Mary! Wow I didn’t expect to see you!” 

Mary jumped, a bit startled to be caught staring at Zelda. She turned around with a huge smile.

“Hello Hilda!” she reached forward to embrace the blonde in a hug. “It’s so wonderful to see you again!” 

“It is great to see you too love.” Hilda smiled, before her voice took on a more serious tone. 

“Are you a friend of the Beecher family?” 

“No, but I did want to pay my respects….” Mary looked down at her hands and fidgeted with her fingers “....and I wanted to bring some soup by for Zelda.” Her cheeks turned a bright red as she blushed. 

“That’s so kind of you! You know, if I can’t get her to eat, I’m sure you can!” Hilda chuckled, and Mary smiled, dimples on display. The two women continued to make small talk about this and that, chatting as if they were old friends.

Zelda had been silently observing the exchange between her sister and Mary. She envied the way her sister could get along with just about anyone with ease. Hilda was always very socially outgoing and warm, and it seemed everyone gravitated towards her. Zelda couldn’t help but be a bit jealous at the instant connection Hilda and Mary seemed to have. 

 _I’m being foolish_ , she thought, immediately chiding herself.

“Would you like some tea as well, Hilda?” Zelda asked, putting on an air of aloofness. 

“Oh I’m fine love,” Hilda smiled “you just get Mary here some tea while I get the snacks and drinks out for the reception. People are just now starting to make their way out of the chapel.” 

Zelda quickly busied herself with pouring tea for herself and Mary. Hilda maneuvered around her, grabbing trays of food out of the fridge, uncorking bottles, and getting cups. 

“I can help you set that food out, Hilda” Mary volunteered. 

“Thank you dear. Here, just grab that tray of cheese and crackers there and we can put these things on the dining room table.”

Zelda observed Mary as she trailed behind her sister around the corner tray in hand. _When had she taken off her coat?_ Mary had on a black turtleneck that was tucked into a long grey, plaid skirt. Zelda suddenly found herself thinking that it was a shame that Mary’s lovely neck wasn’t exposed. Zelda let her mind wander, sipping at her tea as she stared into space. 

“Ex-excuse me?” 

Zelda looked up to see Meghan’s mother approaching her slowly, a handkerchief in her hand, eyes red. 

“Oh, hello Mrs. Beecher. Is everything going well?” 

“Yes, yes. I was just wondering if you had a spare room where I could be alone for a moment, please. I just need a moment to myself.” 

“Yes, yes. I completely understand. Follow me.”

Zelda put her mug down and brushed past the grieving woman, gesturing with her arm in the direction of the stairs. When they walked through the area of the house next to the chapel and entryway of the house, Zelda scanned the small crowd of people to see if she saw Mary anywhere. She got a glimpse of Hilda arranging a tray of small cookies and cupcakes, and saw Mary nearby, talking animatedly with a man, cup of tea in hand. Zelda forced herself to look away when she saw the man reach out to place his hand on Mary’s shoulder.

“Mrs. Spellman?” Susan Beecher’s small voice brought Zelda back to the task at hand. 

“Yes, pardon me. It’s just up these stairs.” Zelda led the woman upstairs to the bedroom where Mary had given her the massage, just days before. She opened the door and turned on the light.

“Take as long as you need.” Zelda said with a sympathetic smile. 

“Thank you Miss Spellman. I really appreciate it.” 

Zelda closed turned to leave, and closed the door behind her. She could hear the other woman crying behind the closed door, and thoughts of Sabrina flooded Zelda’s mind. 

 _Sabrina! Wait. She never called me!_  

Zelda quickly made her way to her bedroom, and went to retrieve her cell phone off of her nightstand. To her relief, she saw that she had several missed calls from Sabrina, and a photo message. She opened her messages and saw that Sabrina had also sent several 

 _Just checking in Auntie Zee!_  

And then 

_I have made it safely!_

 

_I’m guessing you are busy with the funeral. Just wanted you to see that I am 100% okay!_

Then there was a picture she had sent. It showed Sabrina, her boyfriend Harvey, and her friends Roz and Susie all making silly faces at the camera. Zelda smiled to herself, her fears momentarily assuaged. She took a few moments to herself before locking her phone.  With a sigh, she got up from her bed, and made her way back downstairs. Zelda found herself looking for Mary again, wondering where the woman was. 

“Oh! Zelds! There you are! I was wondering where you had gotten to.” Hilda made her way over to her sister’s side. 

“Mary was just looking for you. She said she had to leave.” 

A look of panic momentarily flashed across Zelda’s face, as her stomach did a flip. 

“Hmmn. Is that so?” Zelda’s attempts at remaining indifferent weren’t lost on Hilda. 

“She just left. If you hurry, you can catch her!” 

Zelda turned, slowly making her way to the front door, silently slipping past the now dwindling crowd of funeral guests. When she stepped outside, she noticed the sun was setting. The clouds from earlier had parted, now looking like pieces of cotton candy floating in the winter sky amongst an array of pinks and purples. Zelda stared at the sky, taken by its beauty, as she took a deep breath of the cold winter air. She didn’t notice Mary walk up beside her. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” The brunette asked, startling Zelda. She turned to take in the brunette, now all bundled up in her coat, ready to leave. 

 _Where did she come from?_  

“Yes….yes it is.” Zelda turned back to look at the sunset. Her breath hitched as she could feel Mary’s eyes on her. She cleared her throat and turned to look at the woman. She took in her pink cheeks and nose, and felt a rush of affection towards the woman. 

“Thank you again for the soup. I am going to try to have some once everyone leaves.” 

“It’s no problem Zelda. You need to take care of yourself.” 

Zelda had to remind herself to breathe as Mary’s dimples appeared again with her smile. 

“Oh! I almost forgot!” Mary reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small business card. “Here is my business card….so you can schedule your next appointment. I don’t think I gave you one the last time you were at the parlour.” 

Zelda reached out to take the card from the woman, and noticed another number written on the card with ink pen. 

“Uhm, I also wrote my cell phone down, just in case you wanted a private massage again.” Mary’s cheeks now turned redder and she wrung her hands nervously. 

Zelda kept her gaze on the card, her dress suddenly too tight around the collar. 

“Well, I’ll just be going then.” Mary said, with an awkward wave and made her way down the stairs of the Spellmans’ front porch, silently cursing herself. Zelda looked up to watch the other woman leave, brown curls blowing in the wind. She didn’t know what it was, but there was just something about Mary Wardwell that drew her in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kind of felt like a filler chapter to me, but I Hope you all enjoyed it. I spent this past weekend sick in bed, so I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a flu going around in Greendale, and someone catches it.

Zelda didn’t know what to do with Mary’s cell phone number. As the weeks went by, she continued to contact Mary through her work phone number. She made it a habit to schedule regular, weekly massage sessions. She did keep Mary’s number in her phone, just in case she needed it for some reason. A small part of her secretly hoped that one day they would be close enough that she could use it. What Zelda didn’t know, though, was that Mary and Hilda were also becoming friends, and Mary was taking her lunch breaks across the street at Dr. Cerebus’s. They often ended up laughing over milkshakes and telling each other their secrets, as if they were old college friends. 

On this particular February afternoon, Hilda noticed that Mary was rather late. She was usually right on time. It was around noon, and the lunchtime crowd was starting to appear. 

_Perhaps something came up?_ Hilda thought to herself, as she took off her apron and slid into her favorite booth. She had milkshakes for both her and Mary, one in each hand. She didn’t know if Mary had eaten yet or not, and decided that she would have the cook just send over some food for herself. She glanced over at the clock. _12:25. Maybe I should call the parlour?_ Hilda wondered. Just as she went to get up from the booth, she noticed Mary enter the shop in a rush, her coat fluttering behind her. She approached the booth Hilda was sitting at, and apologized as she slid in across from her. Some strands of hair had blown loose from her French braid ponytail. Mary’s nose was pink, and her eyes seemed to be red and watery. 

“Hey there stranger! Are you okay? I was just about to call you!” 

“I’m so sorry” Mary sighed before taking off her glasses and putting her head in her hands. 

“I’ve not been feeling well today. I think it may be allergies?” 

“Love, if you aren’t feeling well, then you should go home.” Hilda reached out to touch the other woman’s arm. “You know there is a flu going around now. I hear it’s a pretty bad one too.” 

“I think I will be okay. I only have Zelda this afternoon. Then I can go home after that.” 

“Okay. Well if you have to reschedule her for a different day, I’m sure she will understand. You have to take care of yourself love”

“You’re right.” Mary replied, feeling a bit defeated. 

But Mary didn’t want to cancel Zelda’s appointment. She had gotten used to seeing the enigmatic redhead weekly, their sessions together being the highlight of her week. They hadn’t spoken much since the funeral, but they had started to make small talk during their sessions. Mary disclosed more of her past, telling tales of her family history, when her great-grandparents first came to Greendale from Scotland, how her parents met, and eventually her own birth. Zelda was a bit harder to get to know, though. Aside from revealing that she had studied foreign languages in school, Zelda only revealed small tidbits about herself every now and then. She wondered what it would sound like to hear Zelda speak to her in different languages. Her heart rate increased at just the thought alone. 

“Mary? Maaary?” Hilda called in a sing-songy voice. Light blue eyes remained unfocused and staring off into the distance. Hilda waved a hand in front of Mary’s face, and was met with a small gasp. 

_Oh my GOD! I was daydreaming about Zelda while in front of Hilda! Oh god!_  

“Mary? Mary? Oh, there you are! You gave me quite a fright! I thought you were going to pass out or something! You had a strange look in your eyes” 

“Oh,” Mary smiled,“actually, I think I might actually close the parlour early today and head home.” 

“That sounds like a good plan dear. Let me know if you need anything.” 

“Thank you. I think I’ll be okay.” Mary smiled as she slid out of the booth, knees wobbling slightly. “I’ll text you that cake recipe later, y’know, the one you asked about the other day?” 

When she stood up, it took her a few seconds to steady herself. Hilda watched her, concern etched across her face. 

“Oh, take your time love. You go and take care of yourself! I’ll talk to you later.”

Mary waved bye before leaving Dr. Cerebus’s. She shivered as she stepped outside, the wind whipping at her body. She rushed as quickly as she could back across the street, and up the front steps to her business. Her hands shook as she unlocked the door to the parlour, and she closed the door with a sigh. A pounding headache was now making itself known, and she held a trembling hand up to her face before stumbling to her desk. She let her body fall into the chair behind the small desk, glad that she was finally sitting down again. She was feeling worse than she had let Hilda know. 

_I just need to call Zelda to reschedule her massage….maybe after I just close my eyes for a little bit_. 

Mary removed her glasses, and rested her head on her arms on the desk, letting her eyes drift shut. A little nap never hurt anyone.

 

* * *

 

Zelda was running late to her massage. She had gotten so caught up in the tasks she had to do around the house that she hadn’t realized she was running so behind schedule. She sped into town, grateful that there didn’t seem to be many people on the road. When she got to the massage parlour, she didn’t hesitate to jump out of her car, barely remembering to lock it before rushing up the stairs to the parlour. She ran a hand through her hair before opening the door and stepping inside. The first thing that she noticed it that the usually crackling fireplace was black and cold, the lingering smell of smoke in the air. _That’s odd._ Zelda’s eyes scanned the room noticing that the lights weren’t even turned on, and there was no music playing. She looked in the direction of the desk and noticed Mary’s form slumped on the desk. Panic gripped her as she rushed to the woman’s side. 

“MARY! Mary?” . Zelda gently shook the woman’s shoulder, not getting a response. Mary was still bundled up in her coat, holding her glasses in one hand, her face tucked into her folded arms. She could feel the heat radiating from the small woman, and reached to touch the back of her neck. The curly brown locks that had escaped her ponytail were now stuck to her neck with sweat. She was burning up. Zelda carefully slid her hands under Mary’s arms, and hoisted her up so that she was sitting upright in the chair. Her head lolled back and forth, but she seemed to be coming around. 

“Mmmmmnn Zelda? Iszat you?” Mary slurred, a sleepy smile now on her face. She cracked open her eyes, the beautiful blues now glassy and unfocused. Zelda’s eyes grew wide as she took in the state of the other woman. She had to get her back home, to a bed. 

“Mary, I’m going to have to take you home. Do you think you can stand up?” 

“Mmmmmm.” 

“Do you have a purse here? Let me get your keys.” Zelda frantically scanned the room before looking underneath the desk, and saw a black purse sitting there. She grabbed it, and placed it on top of the desk. She took Mary’s glasses and tucked them into one of the pockets on the purse before catching sight of the keys in Mary’s lap. She grabbed them, slung the purse over her shoulder next to her own, and then moved to help Mary stand up. 

“Okay. I’m just going to wrap my arm around you here, and you can lean on me for support, okay?” 

“Mmkay.”

Zelda wrapped her arm around Mary, and placed the brunette’s arm over her own shoulder, holding onto Mary’s forearm with her right hand. She stood up and felt the woman’s lithe body lean into hers, her energy spent. Zelda tightened her arm around Mary’s waist as they made their way to the front door. Zelda opened the front door and ushered Mary through, carefully making sure she didn’t trip over the door frame. She stopped once they were on the porch trying to figure out how she was going to lock the door. 

“Mary? Can you stand for just one second while I lock the door? It will only be one second.” Zelda looked at the woman who was tucked into her side. 

“.....okay.” Mary answered quietly, still out of it. 

Zelda slipped her arm from around Mary and turned back towards the door, keeping one arm across the front of Mary’s shoulders. As she locked the the two locks on the door, she felt the other woman lean forward into her chest, as if she were going to slide her arms up around her and embrace her in a hug. Then Mary’s arms did wrap around her and embrace her in a wobbly hug. 

“Oh!” Zelda didn’t know what to say, so she settled for lightly patting the other woman on the back. Mary tucked her face into Zelda’s neck, her heated skin warming Zelda’s own skin. Zelda knew that Mary wasn’t herself at the moment, and didn’t want to take advantage of her current state. She knew she needed to get Mary to a bed, and soon. 

“Mary?” She pulled back from their awkward embrace, keeping one arm around the other woman to steady her. 

“We’re gonna walk down a few steps and get into my car now, okay?” 

Mary let out a groan as she clumsily tried to place one foot in front of the other. The thought of sitting down again soon encouraged her to keep pushing forward. She looked up to the old black Volvo that was parked at the curb, and sighed. Zelda ushered her to the passenger side of the car, and Mary heard a click as Zelda unlocked the car door. 

“Here, just sit down slowly, and watch your head.” 

Mary shakily lowered herself into the seat. She noticed that Zelda held onto her hand while she got into the car. Mary leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes. She could feel tears of exhaustion forming behind her eyelids, and her lower lip trembled. Her muscles were aching, and the fever was making her feel very uncomfortable in her coat. 

“Hey, hey. It’s okay.” 

Zelda’s soft and caring voice cut through her discomfort. She felt Zelda’s blessedly cool hand caress the side of her face, her thumb brushing away a tear. 

“I’m going to get you home soon, and into bed. Don’t worry. You’re going to be okay.” 

Mary opened her eyes to look over at Zelda who was now leaning into the passenger side of the car, worried green eyes staring back at her, a crease between her eyebrows. She managed to nod her head in response, and Zelda reached for the seatbelt, buckling Mary in. 

“I’m going to put the seat back a bit so you can relax on the ride home, okay?” 

“Thank you Zelda.” 

Zelda moved to recline the seat a bit, and squeezed Mary’s shoulder gently, before backing up and closing the passenger door. She opened the back door of the car and deposited their purses in the back seat, and made her way around to the driver’s seat. Once buckled in, she turned to look at Mary. 

“Mary, how far is your house from here?”  
  
“It is about an hour outside of town.” 

“That is kind of far…..” Zelda trailed off, tapping her fingers anxiously on the steering wheel. She knew she needed to get the woman taken care of soon. 

“We really need to get your temperature down….Mary? Is it okay if I take you back to mine? We live a little bit closer than your place. Hilda will make sure you have a speedy recovery. What do you think?”

“That’s fine.” Mary murmured, as she smiled to herself. 

Zelda quickly started her car, and checked her mirrors, before turning the car around and driving down the main street that ran through town, trying to drive back as quickly as possible to the Spellman house. As she drove, she didn’t know what to say, so she settled for asking Mary every now and then how she was holding up. Mary seemed to be drifting in and out of sleep, the fever raging on. Zelda sped up once they were out of the main area of town and driving down the forest and field lined country roads. 

“Just hang on Mary, we’re almost there.” She reached out to squeeze the other woman’s hand reassuringly before placing both hands back on the wheel. Mary moaned in response. The car sped carefully around the curved turns and eventually Zelda saw the turn off for their long driveway up ahead. She sighed in relief as they made their way down the road, finally back at home. She parked the car as close to the front porch as possible, jumping out almost immediately once she put it into park. She rushed over to the passenger side and opened the door, leaning in to unbuckle Mary’s seatbelt. 

“Mary, we’re here. Let’s get you inside. Do you think you can walk?” 

“Yes,” Mary replied weakly, holding a hand up to her forehead and wincing. Zelda reached out her hand and helped the other woman up. She kept an arm wrapped around Mary’s waist as the two women made their way up the front steps of the Spellmans’ porch, and to the front door. Zelda fiddled with her keys as best she could with one hand as she unlocked the front door and brought Mary inside.

“Hilda! Hilda!” Zelda called out urgently. “Hilda I need your help!” 

Hilda came rushing around the corner from the kitchen, drying her wet hands on a pink apron she had tied around her waist. 

“Zelda wha-- oh my goodness! What happened?” Hilda’s jaw dropped as she took in the sight of Zelda holding up a clearly not well Mary in the front entryway of their house. She quickly moved to Mary’s other side and slipped her arm around her shoulders.

“I thought you were headed home when you left earlier” Hilda asked, eyes scanning over her friend. She lifted her hand to Mary’s forehead. 

“Oh dear. Zelda, she’s burning up!” 

“I think we have already established that, Hilda. Please, help me take her upstairs!” 

“Okay. Let’s just get her out of her coat first.” Hilda reached to remove the coat that Mary was still wearing. She had on a long-sleeved dress shirt on underneath, and her black leggings. The shirt was soaked through with sweat. 

“Don’t worry love, we’ll get you all cleaned up and comfortable soon!” Hilda reassured Mary, as she tossed the coat onto a nearby chair. 

The two women both supported Mary as they made their way up the stairs to their bedrooms. They stopped in front of the closed door of the spare bedroom that Zelda had used for her massage. 

“Uh---um!” Zelda started, not turning to look at Hilda. Her face suddenly flushed, as she opened and closed her mouth several times, before finally speaking. “I think we should put Mary in my room---in our old room, that way I can keep an eye on her easily.” 

“Yes of course.” Hilda replied, smiling to herself before averting her gaze to Mary, who was tucked into her side. “We’re almost there love, just a little ways down the hall here.” 

They kept walking, and Zelda nudged open the door of her room with her foot, leading them over to the bed where Hilda used to sleep. They sat Mary down on the bed and gently lowered her into a lying position. Zelda moved to take off the woman’s shoes, and placed them on the floor near the foot of the bed. 

“I’ll be right back Zelda. I’m going to get some things from the kitchen!” Hilda said as she scurried out of the room. 

Zelda moved back to Mary’s side and held her face between both of her hands. 

“Mary, I’m going to have to take off your clothes. Is that okay?”

All Mary could do was blink slowly and nod, thoroughly exhausted from their trip up the stairs. 

“Okay, I’m going to unbutton your shirt, and then help you sit up so I can get it off, okay?” Zelda knew that Mary couldn’t respond at the moment, but she wanted to make sure that she was as respectful as possible, and reassured Mary every step of the way. 

Zelda quickly unbuttoned each button of the shirt, and moved Mary to sit up as she made quick work of removing the damp shirt. Droplets of sweat rolled down Mary’s chest, and Zelda quickly averted her eyes. She eased Mary back down onto the bed before moving to her leggings, carefully peeling them down her body. She cursed herself for letting her eyes linger for a moment, this time on Mary’s stomach. The taught, freckled skin drew her in. Shaking her head, she tossed the sweaty clothes aside and pulled the covers back under Mary. Zelda pulled the duvet all the way down and pulled only the sheet up over Mary, to preserve her modesty. 

“Zelda.” Mary’s voice came out in a whisper. 

“Yes Mary?” Zelda sat on the edge of the bed and reached a hand out to brush some hair away from Mary’s face. 

“Thank you for this.” Mary replied weakly, reaching a hand out from under the sheet. Her eyes drifted shut as she fell asleep. 

Zelda took Mary’s hand in her own and rubbed her thumb over the back of it. She let her gaze fall to their joined hands that now rested in her lap. 

_Would Mary still be this affectionate if she weren’t sick? Maybe it is the fever making her like this_. 

She studied Mary’s hand in her own. Her hands were small, but sturdy. Mary was a slender woman, all legs and arms. She wasn’t very tall, but she had a tremendous amount of strength. She also seemed to always have a never ending amount of energy. And kindness. She was always so kind, even when Zelda wasn’t. Tears began to swim in front of Zelda’s eyes as she thought about the past month.

_Oh god Mary. I can’t feel like this about you. I barely know you. But I know you are kind. So, so kind. And sweet. Please be okay._  

Hilda burst into the room with a tray, shaking Zelda out of her reverie. Zelda quickly released Mary’s hand and stood up, smoothing her dress as though nothing had happened. She cleared her throat and stood up straight.   

“I’ve brought water, pain medication, a bowl of ice, washcloths, and I’ll be right back with some more things.” Hilda put the tray down on Zelda’s bed before running back out of the room. Zelda got up and looked over the items on the tray. She noticed Hilda had brought what appeared to be a thermometer up and quickly picked it up and went to take Mary’s temperature. She rolled it across Mary’s forehead, and looked at the digital display as it beeped,confirming that Mary’s fever was indeed high. Zelda put the thermometer down, and poured some of the water in the bowl of ice, and dipped the washcloth in. She wrung it out gently and moved back to sit at Mary’s side. She gently began to wipe the cool washcloth across her forehead. She watched as the tension in Mary’s face disappeared as the cool water droplets made their way across her face. Zelda wiped the washcloth down the sides of Mary’s face, and wiped around her neck. She took in the multitude of freckles that painted the other woman’s light olive skin, the lines where her gorgeous neck met her defined jaw. Zelda’s hand that was holding the washcloth stilled, and she stared at the spot where Mary’s ear met her neck. For a moment, Zelda saw herself holding Mary from behind, nuzzling her face into the brunette’s neck, the thick brown hair tickling her nose. She saw herself placing kisses at the base of her skull, kissing every single freckle, and breathing in her sweet scent. Mary stirred a little in her sleep, and made a small sound of disappointment. Zelda’s eyes grew wide as she realized the path her thoughts had taken. She quickly returned to the task at hand, trying to keep the other woman cooled off. When she noticed that Mary was sleeping calmly, with little tossing and turning, she took put the washcloth aside, and quietly got up from the side of the bed. 

Zelda walked downstairs and into the kitchen, where Hilda was now stirring a pot of vegetable soup. The smell rivaled that of the soup Mary brought Zelda not a month earlier. 

“I thought Mary could try to eat something the next time she wakes up?” Hilda’s large blue eyes looked questioningly towards her sister, her other reaching for a small jar of spices. 

“Yes. I will give her some water first and see how she manages with that. We need to keep fluids in her.” 

“I’ll bring some up in a thermos so it will stay warm. Why don’t you sit down here and have yourself a small bite to eat.” Hilda took a spoon off of the counter and sampled the soup. “Mmn. Delicious.” 

“I’m….not really in the mood for eating right now,” Zelda replied, anxiously clenching and unclenching her hands. 

“Suit yourself!” 

Zelda rolled her eyes and headed for the fridge. She opened the door and looked inside, reaching for a bottle of wine she had opened the day before. She took out the stopper and took a long swig before returning it to its place. 

“You can’t just drink your worries away, you know that Zelds.” 

Zelda’s cheeks puffed out as she swallowed the huge mouthful of wine she had taken. She resembled a petulant child. 

“I don’t know what you are talking about. ” She snapped in return, averting her gaze from her sister. 

“Zelda.” Hilda sighed and put the stove on low. She turned around to cross her arms and look at her sister with mock disbelief. “I know you. I know that you care about Mary, and that you are worried about her. It’s okay.” 

Zelda huffed and turned to walk out of the kitchen. She wasn’t going to stand around listening to this kind of talk. 

“It’s okay Zelda. You don’t have to be strong all of the time.” Hilda’s voice stopped her in her tracks. “I saw how scared you were when you brought Mary home. The only ever time I’ve seen you look that scared was that time when Sabrina was little, and she got so sick and we had to take her to the hospital.” 

Zelda’s shoulders dropped and she slouched, sighing silently. 

“I know how you feel about Mary, Zelds.” Hilda moved to stand next to her sister, and placed a comforting hand on her back. 

“Is it that obvious?” Zelda asked, looking up across the kitchen, a blush spreading over her pale cheeks. 

“Mhmm.” Hilda nodded. “It’s okay though, Zelda. I think she really cares about you too.” 

“I don’t know about that. Let’s not jump to conclusions.” Zelda slipped out of her sister’s embrace and headed for stairs, not wanting to be away too long in case Mary needed something. 

Hilda just smiled knowingly as her sister left the room. She knew that Mary and her sister both had feelings for each other. Now if only one of them could act on it.

                                                                                                            

* * *

 

 Zelda walked down the hallway towards her bedroom. She had stopped by both Sabrina and Ambrose’s rooms on the way back to hers, letting them know what was going on. Ambrose was indifferent, as usual, much more interested in his music and books. Things were a bit different when she stopped at Sabrina’s room, though. She didn’t miss the knowing smirk her niece gave her at her visible discomfort after she had asked why she didn’t just take Mary to her own house. Zelda blushed and made a mumbled excuse as she quickly exited her niece’s room. She tried to make sure she was as quiet and unassuming as possible as she walked back into her room. The lamps on the two nightstands in the room were turned on, casting the room in a warm glow. _Hilda must have turned them on when she checked in on Mary._ She looked over at Mary, who now seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Reassured, she moved to her bed and sat down. She leaned back into the pillows and crossed her ankles. It felt good to slow down and take a moment. She had didn’t realize that the stress of the past few hours had taken their toll on her. Before she knew it, her eyes had slipped shut, and  Zelda had drifted off into a light sleep. She was just slowly making her way into that delicious place where she was falling into a deeper, more relaxing sleep when she heard a noise. A small whimper. She ignored it, figuring it was an animal outside, or Salem play fighting with Vinegar Tom. Zelda tried to lose herself in the throes of sleep again, but then she heard the whimpers again, this time louder. It sounded like someone was crying. _Mary!_ Zelda’s eyes shot open, and she rushed over to the other bed. Mary was tossing and turning, the sheets tangled up amongst her arms and legs. She had tears streaming down her face, and she was mumbling and moaning as she thrashed underneath the sheet. 

“Mary! Mary, honey, wake up! You’re having a bad dream!” Zelda grabbed Mary’s upper arms, and tried to get her to wake up. 

“It’s okay! You’re safe! You are here with me! It’s okay!” She kept reassuring the other woman for several seconds before she came to. Mary’s eyes were wild and she looked around the room, terrified. 

“Hey, hey. You’re okay.” Zelda said as she caressed the side of Mary’s face. Mary’s eyes closed the moment Zelda’s hand met her cheek. She leaned into the touch, Zelda’s hand cool and comforting against her overheated skin. 

“Do you think I could have something to drink?” 

“Of course.” Zelda went to refill the glass that Hilda had brought in. She stuck a straw in it and brought it back over to Mary, who had now moved to a sitting position in the bed. 

“Just sip it slowly. We need to get a lot more fluids in you.” 

Mary nodded in response as she quietly sipped at the water. The water soothed her dry throat. She looked at Zelda who was now sitting at the edge of her bed, staring at her hands in her lap. The redhead still had on her work clothes and makeup, and looked a bit worse for wear.

“So,” Zelda broke the silence, “how are you feeling now?” 

“Very weak and achy all over. I’m also having hot and cold flashes. This flu that is going around is not something to be taken lightly” 

“It sure isn’t. I was so worried when I came into your shop earlier and found you passed out on your desk.” 

“I was just sleeping” Mary replied, smiling into her glass before taking another sip. 

“Either way, you really gave me quite a scare. And Hilda too, when I brought you back here.” 

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t realize how sick I was, truly. It got worse as the day went on, and I thought I would be able to make it through the day.”

Zelda reached out to place a hand on Mary’s forearm and pat it reassuringly. 

“It’s okay. You’re here now, and you’re resting. Don’t worry about a thing. You can stay as long as you need to. We will take care of you.” 

“Thank you so much Zelda, truly. How can I ever repay you for your kindness?” 

“You don’t have to repay me. You just get better. That is repayment enough.” Zelda smiled at the woman, who blinked and smiled back in return. 

“Oh, Mary! I almost forgot! Hilda said she was going to bring up some soup for you in a thermos….” Zelda got up and went to the nightstand next to her bed, and saw the small thermos. She brought it back over to Mary, and unscrewed the lid, steam rising from inside. 

“Are you hungry? I imagine it has been some time since you last ate.” 

“I am” the brunette replied, “I haven’t had anything since this morning. I felt sick to my stomach all day, but I think I can try to have a little something.” 

Zelda poured some of the soup into the lid of the thermos, and handed it to Mary. 

“Careful, it is still a bit hot.” She watched as Mary cautiously took a small sip of the soup. 

“ _Mmmmn_. This is wonderful! You said Hilda made this?” 

“Yes. It is one of our old family recipes that she has been improving upon over the years.” 

“I may have to try my hand at making this. It is delicious.”

 Zelda just smiled at the other woman. It was getting a bit late, and Zelda wanted to change into something more comfortable. She placed the open thermos on the nightstand that was next to Mary’s bed, and stood up. 

“I’m just going to go use the bathroom and change into something more comfortable, if you don’t mind.” 

“No, not at all.” Mary’s eyes followed Zelda as she went first to her closet to grab some clothing items and then left the room for the bathroom next door. She sighed and focused on finishing some more soup.

Zelda took her time in the bathroom, first washing the makeup off of her face, and taking the pins out of her hair. She brushed her teeth, put on her favorite nightgown, and returned to her bedroom. When she got back to the room, she noticed that Mary had drifted off back to sleep. The thermos lid was now placed back on the top of the thermos, and Mary’s glass of water was empty. Zelda quietly pulled the sheet up over Mary’s shoulders, tucking her in. Oh how she wished she could kiss her goodnight as well! The other woman looked so small and adorable tucked into bed. Zelda quickly turned off the light on the nightstand next to Mary’s bed and crawled into her own. She glanced over at Mary and smiled to herself as she snuggled under the covers. _Mary is actually here, in my bedroom. Holy shit._ Zelda shook her head at her own giddy enthusiasm, and closed her eyes. She drifted off with a content smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized this past week that I am shamelessly inserting every single fanfic trope I love into this story lol. Thanks again for reading. Hang tight, for the good stuff is coming soon ;-)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreams are dreamt, conversations are had, and lots of pining happens.

Zelda dreamed of Mary. 

The two women were sitting in the bathtub, warm soapy bubbles surrounding them. Zelda was sitting between Mary’s legs, leaning back into her chest. She rested her head on Mary’s shoulder, one hand reaching behind her to hold the brunette in place as she teased Zelda’s neck with her mouth. Mary held Zelda tightly against her, her other hand gently rubbing Zelda’s inner thigh. Zelda sighed as the kisses and licks on her neck turned into soft bites, Mary’s sharp nose nuzzling the redhead. The hand that was exploring Zelda’s thigh crept closer towards her center, now gently threading through the fine hairs nestled between her legs. Zelda turned her face towards Mary, and pulled her face to hers, giving her a languid kiss. As she slowly pressed their lips together, she felt the other woman’s tongue seeking entrance into her mouth, and she gently caressed it with her own. Zelda couldn’t help but let out a moan. Kissing Mary was like tasting the sunshine, pure and invigorating. The two women kept kissing, drinking each other in. Mary let her hand drift lower, right to where Zelda needed it. She traced over the small bundle of nerves with her fingers before slowly circling around it. Zelda began to moan, and Mary just smiled, her mouth still over Zelda’s. 

“Mmmmmn, Mary.” Zelda pulled back from Mary’s mouth, panting for air. The other woman returned to placing kisses on her neck, enjoying the noises that she was eliciting out of the redhead as she pleasured her. 

“Mary…..Maaary _please_ ” Zelda’s moans got louder and louder, as Mary kept teasing her. She was _so_ close! Suddenly, Mary’s hands, Mary, and the bathtub disappeared, and Zelda’s eyes opened as she realized where she was. She was in her bedroom, sunlight streaming through her window. Her nightgown was hiked up around her waist, a now damp hand between her thighs. She experienced a split second of disappointment before a feeling of burning shame overcame her once she realized that she wasn’t alone in her bedroom. 

 _Oh my god. I was moaning Mary’s name out loud! Fucking hell. Fuckfuckfuck_. 

Zelda quickly glanced over to the other bed where Mary was, hoping the other woman didn’t hear anything. She sat up a bit in the bed and noticed that the brunette was laying on her side, turned away from Zelda. She noticed the slow rise and fall of the other woman’s side, indicating that she was asleep. 

 _I hope she didn’t hear anything. Oh god._  

Zelda quietly pushed her covers back and slipped on her slippers, quietly grabbing some clothes from her closet before fleeing her bedroom for the bathroom. Once inside, she closed the door and leaned back against it. 

“Oh god. What have I _done_?” Zelda slammed her hand on the door before pushing off of it, hands now tangled in her hair. She stripped her nightgown and panties off, stepping into the shower. With a determined huff, she turned the tap on and made sure it was turned all the way to cold. It took everything in Zelda not to scream out at the feeling of the cold water engulfing her body, but she had to calm herself down. She stepped completely under the icy spray of the shower, shivering, as her eyes began to fill with tears. 

 _No! I will not cry over this!_  

Zelda angrily sniffed as she let the water cascade over her body. She decided enough was enough, and slowly turned the water back to the hot water. She quickly washed her hair and body, and decided that the quicker she got to her work for the day, the better. It took her no time to dry herself off, blow dry and style her hair, and apply her makeup. It always felt good to stick to routine. Zelda picked up her nightgown and underwear that she had hastily discarded on the floor earlier, and made her way back to her bedroom. 

 _Please let Mary not have heard anything….._  

She slowly opened the door, and saw Mary stir a bit. She quietly tiptoed to her dirty clothes hamper and dropped her clothes in, before going over to Mary’s bed. As she approached her, she saw Mary’s eyes slowly open, pale blue eyes peering from behind slits. 

“Hey there sleepyhead. How are you feeling?” 

Mary yawned and stretched before attempting to push herself up into a sitting position. Some of her hair had snuck its way out of her ponytail during the night, and she had brown wisps of hair sticking up in various directions. Zelda thought she looked absolutely adorable. 

“I’m feeling a bit better. Definitely still sick, but I think the fever has almost passed.” She took in Zelda’s appearance, fully dressed and ready for the day. 

“If you want, I can send Hilda up with some breakfast for you.” 

“I could try to eat something. I haven’t had much aside from the soup yesterday…..hey, what time is it?” 

“It’s just after seven…” Zelda looked down at her feet, stocking clad but wearing her bedroom slippers. “I’m just going to uh, go and get started on some work for today. I’ll send Hilda up.” 

“Thank you Zelda.” Mary smiled at Zelda as she left the room, before sliding back down onto the bed. She was thoroughly hot and bothered. She had woken up to the sounds of Zelda moaning. At first she just heard small whimpers and moans, and she thought the other woman was having a nightmare. That was before the moans turned sexual, and she heard her name coming out of the redhead’s mouth. It had taken everything in her to keep quiet and not let the sound of her own heavy breathing indicate that she was awake. Zelda had moaned her name in such a wanton way, that each noise she made sent heat flooding to Mary’s belly, and wetness between her legs. She turned away from the direction of Zelda’s bed and closed her eyes, squeezing her thighs together. Mary’s heart had beat so hard, she thought it was going to burst right out of her chest! She kept quiet as she heard Zelda stir, and get up from her bed. She didn’t move until Zelda came back into the room, fully dressed. Now, she was finally alone with her racing thoughts. 

 _Zelda was dreaming about me!!! ME!!!!!! Oh my goodness…._  

A blush spread across Mary’s cheeks as she giggled. She knew that she shouldn’t feel like this about Zelda. The two women barely knew each other. She was Zelda’s massage therapist. They had only been in each other's’ lives for little over a month. She was being unprofessional. 

 _I just can’t help it. She is just so strong and beautiful, and I am extremely attracted to her_. 

The sounds of Zelda’s moans weren’t going to leave Mary’s mind anytime soon. The little noises, the desperate whimpers and pleads. Mary’s eyes drifted shut, as she let her hand slide down between her own legs. She was still wet from listening to Zelda earlier. She ran her fingers through the wetness before bringing them up to her clit. She replayed the events that had taken place earlier in her mind, over again, only this time she was the one making Zelda moan like that. She imagined herself between Zelda’s beautiful legs, giving her the release she deserved. It didn’t take Mary long before her mouth opened in a silent scream, eyebrows knitted together near her hairline as she came, her back arching up off of the bed. She rode out the waves of her orgasm, and smiled dreamily to herself. She kept her eyes shut, enjoying the aftermax of her climax. A stillness washed over Mary, and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

 

* * *

 

Zelda was pacing back and forth nervously in the living room, a cigarette in one hand, her case of cigarettes in the other. She was trying to get to the bottom of her feelings over what took place while she was still sleeping. She was burning with shame and anger. 

 _What a lack of self-control. I cannot believe that happened. I already feel strange around Mary, and then this goes and happens. Pathetic…._  

Zelda noticed her cigarette was about to go out, and she walked over to the coffee table and tossed her holder and still smoking cigarette butt into the ashtray, not even bothering with removing it from the holder. She took another cigarette from her case and lit it, forgoing the holder completely. She began her marathon back and forth across the living room once again, her thoughts racing. 

 _Why am I so upset? She probably didn’t even hear me. Why do I care so much what happened anyways? It’s not like I actually…….do I have feelings for Mary? No, no, I’m just being silly. I’m just experiencing some adolescent-esque hormones, that is all. I couldn’t have feelings for her. I barely know the woman! Besides, she would probably never be interested in someone like me. She probably doesn’t even like women….._  

“Are you trying to wear a path around the living room?” Hilda’s voice brought Zelda out of her inflamed thoughts, and she looked up at her sister with a small scowl on her face. Zelda immediately walked straight outside, through the back porch door, slamming it closed as she rushed outside. Hilda walked up to the door, and pushed the curtains aside, watching her sister. Zelda was still pacing and muttering to herself. Suddenly she stopped, back turned towards Hilda, and paused by the wooden banister before bringing her hands up to cover her face. 

“Auntie? What are you doing?” Sabrina’s voice came from behind Hilda. “Is that Aunt Zelda out there? Is she okay?” 

Hilda turned back to look at her niece, a reassuring smile on her face. 

“Everything is fine love, don’t you worry. Your aunt is just in one of her moods again. You know how she gets. I think I am going to go out and talk to her. You can start getting out the things for breakfast, I’ll just be right back.” Hilda said, her eyes now back on her sister. 

“Actually I was going to meet up with Harvey before school to grab something.” 

“That’s fine love. Have a nice day at school!” Hilda replied as she opened the door and stepped outside, closing the door quietly behind her. 

“Zelds? What’s going on?” 

Hilda watched as her sister angrily brushed away tears before turning to face her. 

“Allergies, you know how it can be at this time of--” 

“Zelda. I know it’s not allergies.” Hilda moved a bit closer, reaching out a hand to gently squeeze her older sister’s arm. “ 

Zelda opened and closed her mouth as if she were going to speak, and blinked rapidly, the words failing to come. 

“You can talk to me Zelda, truly.” 

“I can’t” Zelda’s voice came out so small, Hilda almost missed it. 

“And why is that? This wouldn’t have anything to do with Mary, would it?”

Zelda looked down at the ground, and nodded mutely, a blush spreading over her cheeks. 

“Okay….you have a crush on her then?” Hilda was met with no response, her sister continuing to stare at the ground. 

“You know, it’s perfectly fine if you do. There is no judgment here, Zelds. You know we all accept you as you are, and Mary is lovely--” 

“It’s not that, Hilda!” Zelda interjected. “I mean….” 

Hilda snapped her mouth shut at Zelda’s outburst, and her eyes widened as she took in the blush that was once again spreading over her sister’s face 

“I…..it’s….I just had a very, ah, _embarrassing_ , thing happen, and I just hope it doesn’t make Mary not like me anymore.” 

“I’m sure whatever it was, you don’t have to worry, Zelds. Besides, I don’t think Mary is going to stop liking you any time soon.” 

Hilda saw a small flicker of a grin form at the corner of Zelda’s mouth before she quickly returned her face to its usual mask of stoicism. 

“You should go and talk to her, you know. It’s always nice to just go and get a feel for things sometimes. Remember what you told me about Dr. Cee.” 

“Yes but that was different.” 

“How so?” 

“Well I for a fact don’t even know if Mary likes me like that. For all we know, she could have a secret beau or something.” 

“You will not learn anything about her unless you go and talk to her, Zelda. You’ve got to!” 

Zelda sniffed and turned away from her sister, and stared out into the forest. Hilda sighed and went back into the house. She started to prepare breakfast to take upstairs to Mary, her thoughts on her clearly lovesick and distraught sister. 

 _Oh Zelda. One day you will see what is right in front of you_.

 

* * *

 

Hilda made her way upstairs to the bedroom she once shared with her sister, a tray of breakfast in her hands. She walked carefully down the hallway, trying not to spill anything. When she got to the room, she was relieved to see that Zelda had left the door cracked. She balanced the tray on one hand and knocked gently on the door. She could hear sounds of Mary stirring, bed covers rustling. 

“Hey love! Is it okay to come in? I have some breakfast for you, if you feel up to eating it.”

“Yes, you can come in” Mary replied. Hilda pushed open the door with her hip, and backed through the doorway, turning towards Mary with a large smile on your face. 

“How are you feeling?”

“My body is a bit achy, and my head hurts, but I feel quite well-rested” a small blush formed across Mary’s face, as she briefly recalled the activities that she partook in earlier. 

“Oh. Maybe you can take some medication after we get a bit of food in you. Here.’ Hilda placed the tray down on the nightstand. “I brought some oatmeal, a banana, some apple slices, toast, water, and some tea, if you’re interested. Try to eat what you can. Don’t worry about what you can’t finish.” 

“Thank you.” Mary looked down at her lap, uncomfortably. “Uh, Hilda, would you mind if I used the bathroom first, just to wash up a bit. I’ll take a shower later, after I eat.” 

“Of course love! It’s no problem. It’s just down the hall, to the right. Do you need any help getting out of the bed?” 

“I think...I think I’ll be fine.” Mary threw the covers back, forgetting that she only had her underwear on. She pulled the sheet back over herself. “Ah, actually, do you have a robe or something I could borrow?” 

“Oh! Well, you can just borrow one of Zelda’s” Hilda replied with a nervous chuckle. She made her way to the closet that she used to share with her sister, automatically gravitating to the right section. She pulled a deep, plum-colored silk robe off of a hanger, and brought it back over to Mary, turning around to give her some privacy. Mary stood up and vision turned staticy, her knees a bit weak as her body tried to adjust to the change in position. She leaned on the nightstand, taking a deep breath and waiting for the moment to pass. Hilda heard the sharp inhale behind her, and turned back around. 

“Are you okay?” she moved to rest her hand on Mary’s shoulder, concern clouding her features. Mary still had her eyes closed and was taking deep breaths. 

“Yes. I just felt light-headed for a moment there. I’ve been lying down for so long.” Mary slipped the robe around her body, and started to walk past Hilda. 

“Oh I almost forgot! I brought your glasses upstairs!” Hilda reached into the pocket of her apron and handed them to Mary. 

“Thanks!” Mary put them on and her eyes widened with a smile. “There you are!” 

Hilda smiled back as Mary made her way to the bathroom. She sat down on Zelda’s bed and swung her feet back and forth, while she waited for Mary to return from the bathroom. It was nice to have a friend over. She hardly ever had any friends over, and she wanted to chat with Mary, now that she seemed to be feeling just a bit better. Besides, they didn’t get to chat the other day. She sighed and got up to open the curtains a bit, letting some light into the room. She looked outside over the forest that was at the back of the house, watching as the morning mist rose, and birds flew from tree to tree. 

“Okay. Now I’m ready to eat.” 

Hilda turned around and smiled as she watched Mary walk slowly back to the bed. Hilda picked up the tray and placed it on Mary’s lap when she was settled, and moved back to sit on Zelda’s bed. 

“So, I have the day off today, which means we have some time for some girl talk.” Hilda had a devious grin on her face. 

Mary nibbled on her toast and smiled over at Hilda. She chewed slowly, and swallowed before speaking again.

“What do you want to talk about?” 

“Well, obviously, you and Zelda.” 

Mary lowered the piece of toast she had in her hand. 

“What do you mean ‘me and Zelda?’” Her heart started to race, and she began to feel a bit nervous. 

“I mean, when are you two going to admit that you have a crush on each other?” 

“Uh…” Mary chuckled nervously “I don’t think I know what you’re talking about.” She began to play with the spoon in the bowl of oatmeal, taking a small bite before returning the spoon to the bowl and stirring it. 

“Mary,” Hilda chimed knowingly, “I’ve heard how you talk about my sister. You light up when you mention her. And I have never seen my sister all worked up like this over anyone. I know you two have gotten close, and it is amazing. Zelda hardly lets her walls down for anyone. You really are a special person, Mary, and I think you mean a lot to Zelda.” 

Mary blushed and looked down into the bowl of oatmeal she had started eating, trying to find an excuse to not look at Hilda. There was a moment of awkward silence, the only sound in the room the spoon against the bowl as Mary continued to play with the oatmeal. Hilda studied the brunette, noticing as she sniffled and hastily wiped at her nose and lifted up her glasses to wipe at her eyes. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Yes” Mary’s voice wobbled. “It’s just that I never could have imagined anyone thinking of me in that way, not since….” her voice trailed off, and she turned to look out the window with a sad sigh. 

Hilda moved over to sit on the edge of Mary’s bed, and rested her hand on the other woman’s thigh. 

“Hey now. It’s okay.” Hilda’s kind voice made more tears escape from Mary’s eyes. Hilda felt tears of empathy starting to form in her own eyes. She reached for Mary’s hand, and held it while the other woman continued to wipe away tears, finally getting to a place where she could talk. 

“I never really thought I would find someone I would even be remotely interested in. Not in Greendale, anyways. It is….comfortable, here. I like my life here, owning my business, the small town feel. Everyone is so kind and friendly. It’s just….I just never thought that a woman of my age would have anyone slightly interested in me. Not in a town this small, at least.” Mary looked towards the ceiling as she felt more tears forming in her eyes. Hilda looked on in understanding, tears of empathy forming in her own eyes. 

“I….I dated this man, about 10 years ago. Adam.” She paused and wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “He--we….well, we were mainly together to please my parents. They were afraid that I would end up alone. I broke things off with him after their passing. He was kind, and it was nice to have someone to go to family dinners with, but I never really felt anything for him romantically. I mean….” Mary’s voice trailed off again, and she squared her shoulders and closed her eyes, gathering strength. 

“He was….I didn’t enjoy….” Mary faltered, staring down at the breakfast in her lap again, and Hilda’s hand which still held her left one. 

“It’s okay. Take your time” Hilda encouraged. 

“ _Idon’tthinkIlikemenanyways_ , so um, yeah.” Mary’s words came out in a rushed exhale, and she looked up at Hilda, fearing she would see disgust there. She saw nothing but kindness in the green eyes that focused on her. 

“There is nothing wrong with that, love. We like who we like. We can’t help it. You’ll find that we are more accepting here in Greendale than you think. Why, our Ambrose has a lovely boyfriend, and Zelda, well, she has never been picky. We’re an accepting bunch. You will always be safe here in the Spellman household. There will always be a place for you here.” 

Tears began to flow again down Mary’s cheeks, as she nodded and smiled, taking off her glasses, her nose all pink. She looked relieved, like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Hilda gave her hand a squeeze, at patted the back of it. Mary took a long drink from the now lukewarm tea that was sitting on the tray, and smiled at her friend. 

“So….do you really want to know the dirt on Zelda and I?” Mary asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. 

“Oh yes!” Hilda leaned in, enthusiastically. 

“I mean, there isn’t much to tell. I think I first noticed that I may have had a small crush after I came to give her that private massage. Just the intimacy of that time we spent together. She really opened up to me, too.” 

“My goodness. I can hardly get her to open up for anything, and I’ve lived with her practically my whole life! You must have some magical powers or something!” 

Mary laughed, her smile beaming “I wish! If magic were real, it would make so many things much easier!” 

The two women laughed, and started talking about the things they would do if they had magical powers, how they would spend their days. Mary nibbled her through the food that Hilda had brought up, and had taken some of the medication that was on her nightstand from the previous night. Her and Hilda continued to chat, Hilda filling Mary in on her current romantic situation. She was in the middle of telling Mary about the first time she spent the night at Doctor Cee’s when Zelda peeked in the room, looking quite worked up. 

“Um, I was just checking in to see if you needed anything. Zelda blinked quickly, her cheeks burning as she saw Mary in her robe. 

“Hey there” Mary greeted, a huge smile on her face, her eyes making direct contact with Zelda’s. “I think I could actually use a shower right now--or a soak in that wonderful bathtub, if either of you don’t mind.” 

“No, we don’t mind at all” Zelda quickly answered. “I’ll run it for you.” Zelda disappeared from the doorway. Hilda turned to look over at Mary. 

“Oh my goodness, you two. You could cut the tension with a knife! It’s a wonder you two haven’t hopped into the same bed!” 

Mary had opened her mouth to talk but instead turned bright red and started coughing, not able to catch her breath. All she could think about was Zelda moaning in the bed across from her earlier that morning. 

“Are you alright?” Hilda asked, quickly picking up the glass of water off of the tray and holding it out to Mary, who quickly grabbed it and began to drink from it. Mary’s coughs eventually subsided, and she took a napkin from the tray to wipe her now running nose. She cleared her throat, and patted her chest a few times. 

“If I knew jokes like that were going to cause you to choke, I wouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry.” 

“Um, it’s not that” Mary replied, sheepishly look back a the tray in her lap again. 

“Then what is it?” 

“Well……..oh god……” Mary winced as she spoke. “I may have heard Zelda having a uh, _dream_ , this morning. A, certain type...of dream?” 

“Oh---OH! My goodness.” Hilda’s eyes grew wide as she covered her mouth, catching the meaning behind Mary’s words. 

“I will spare you the specifics, but, um, she did mention my name.” Mary’s cheeks burned with a blush, once again. 

“I see” Hilda said, clearly uncomfortable. “Well, if my sister is having those kinds of dreams about you, then she most definitely has feelings for you!” 

“I hope so” Mary said quietly, now twisting the edge of the napkin that sat on the tray. 

“Maybe you should try asking her out sometime? Invite her to have lunch, or dinner.” 

“I would really like to, but I am just so scared. I can barely breathe when she enters the room. If I’m not in professional, massage therapist mode, I’m just a sweaty, nervous mess.” 

“It’s okay. You know, you will figure out the right time to ask. Don’t worry too much about it. And I’m sure she will say yes. And if she doesn’t, it is more a reflection of her than you. My sister can be a tough nut to crack at times---well, most of the time. But she does have a really big heart, deep down.” 

Mary’s eyes began to fill with tears again as she smiled appreciatively at her friend. 

“Besides, anyone who would turn down a date with you is absolutely mad!” 

This made Mary laugh, and Hilda joined in, giggling. 

Zelda knocked on the door of the room again, and peered her head in. 

“Hilda, sorry to interrupt, but we really need to let Mary get her rest.” 

“Yes, of course. Don’t you worry. We were just catching up a bit.” 

“Well you two can do that later, after Mary has rested a bit more--besides, I have put out things for her in the bathroom--” Zelda now looked at Mary “if you would like to take that bath.” 

“Thank you Zelda.” Mary replied, watching the way Zelda’s red hair fell forward over her shoulder. 

Zelda turned to leave and the two heard the sound of her heels clacking against the wood stairs. 

“That one is a bit crabby today, sheesh!” Hilda said, jerking her thumb in the direction of the bedroom door. 

“I think she is just a bit embarrassed about what happened earlier….” Mary replied, trying and failing not to replay the sound of Zelda moaning her name. “I think I’m going to go have that bath now, Hilda. If you don’t mind?” 

“No love, not at all. Here let me get that tray for you” Hilda reached to take the tray with the remaining food left on it off of Mary’s lap. “I’ll just take this downstairs. Let us know if you need anything!” 

“Thanks Hilda!” 

Mary slowly got up from the bed again, still feeling quite light-headed. She walked slowly to the bathroom, and pushed open the door. The large bathtub was filled up with bubbles and hot water, and there was steam rising from it, the scent of lavender in the air. Mary looked around the bathroom and saw that a towel and washcloth had been left out for her, as well as some clothes, and a toothbrush. An assortment of bottles had been lined up along the edge of the bathtub. She closed the door and slipped off her robe and took off her underwear, approaching the the pile of clothes. She grabbed the washcloth and made her way over to the tub. She quickly undid the braid her hair was in, and dipped one foot into the tub. The water _just_ right. As she climbed the rest of the way into the tub, Mary’s eyes started to water out of gratitude. She was _so_ tired, and the hospitality of the Spellmans was so overwhelmingly kind. It felt like being wrapped up in a big warm hug. Mary put her feet up on the edge of the tub, near the taps, and let herself slide underneath the fragrant water, the warmth bringing feeling back to her cold extremities. She popped back up and let her head rest back against the edge of the tub as she basked in the feel of the water, a sleepy smile on her face. Her mind began to wander as she let herself relax into the bath. 

 _“...when are you two going to admit that you have a crush on each other?”_  

 _“You really are a special person, Mary, and I think you mean a lot to Zelda.”_  

Thought about the conversation she had just had earlier. _Would Zelda really be interested in me? What do I have to offer her aside from massages? I feel like I wouldn’t be her type. Sometimes she seems uncomfortable when I am around._ The wonder and worry started to get to Mary, and she had to stop herself from letting her thoughts take an even more negative turn. She usually was a positive person, but even she had her insecurities. With a mournful sigh, she turned to examine the bottles that were lined up at the edge of the tub, and picked the first bottle. She opened the lid to smell it, and was met with an earthy, yet warm smell. It reminded her of... _Zelda_. Mary smiled to herself as she poured some of the soap into the washcloth, and began to wash her body. She cleaned off the sweat of the previous night, and even managed to wash her hair with some of the shampoo. She started to hum a mindless tune as she rinsed the soap off of her body and out of her hair. When she felt clean enough, Mary stood on shaky knees, climbing out of the bathtub, and reaching for the towel she had placed near the tub. She dried off her body and wrapped the towel around her hair. The clothes that Zelda had left behind for Mary were a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that both said “Baxter High” on them, clearly belonging to Sabrina. She slipped into the clothes, and hung up the towel. With no comb in sight, Mary settled for running her hands through her hair, trying to disperse of the tangles, and braided it in a quick ponytail. She grabbed the hair tie she had flung onto the counter earlier, and secured the end of the braid before quickly brushing her teeth. 

When she was finished in the bathroom, Mary walked down the hallway back to the bedroom, taking in the minor details of the house she hadn’t noticed the night before. There were pictures hanging on the walls of Sabrina and Ambrose as children, and ones of the entire family. She walked over to one, standing quite close as her glasses were still in the other room. Zelda, Hilda, and a young Sabrina were smiling and laughing. Sabrina sat in Zelda’s lap, and Hilda was leaning over, making a face at Sabrina, who was holding her arms out towards her other auntie. Zelda had a joyous look on her face as she held the laughing child. The love that the family had for each other was palpable and heartwarming. Mary turned and walked back to her room, her thoughts turning towards her own family. Her parents had passed on, and she was an only child with no siblings. She walked over to the bed, deep in thought, pulling back the covers and crawling in. She realized that she was lonelier than she thought. Yes, her life in Greendale was going well. She did well enough with her massage business, and she owned her home, but she wanted something _more_. She didn’t want to grow old alone in her cottage. She wanted someone by her side, someone who loved her. Mary closed her eyes and tried to let her mind be silent, knowing that she needed to get more rest. She steadied her breathing, taking deep breaths. 

 _“You will always be safe here in the Spellman household. There will always be a place for you here.”_  

Hilda’s words came back to her again and her eyelids eventually drooped shut as she floated off, Hilda’s words echoing in her mind. Maybe one day she could have a family again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why does it seem like all anyone does in this story is sleep? I should probably be getting more sleep myself....
> 
> Also, who has watched CAOS Part 2?? What did you think? Crazy? Good? Bad? No spoilers here, but I will say it certainly was a wild ride. The ending was so lovely though. If you have watched already, you know I will be very interested to see more of a certain person in the next season, especially because I want to see more of their character development and just more interactions with them in general ;-)
> 
> Thanks again for reading! I really appreciate it!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda and Mary become even more soft and enamored with each other.
> 
> TW: A mention of past physical abuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!
> 
> Also, I would like to say a big thank you to my darling beta, Mandy, who has been so lovely and giving throughout this whole thing. I didn't expect to get this far with this story, but here we are. And there is still more to come!

Mary stayed with the Spellmans for two more days. Zelda tried her best to avoid Mary during that time, still deeply ashamed of what had happened a few days prior. She tried to stay in the room with Mary as little as possible, only lingering to check Mary’s temperature and make sure she had enough to eat and drink. She made polite small talk before they went to bed each night, and said good morning, but did not linger one moment longer than necessary. It was Hilda who kept Mary company, and reassured her when she asked after Zelda. That was, when Mary wasn’t sleeping, of course. Zelda kept herself busy around the house, tending to the mortuary, going over paperwork that had already been completed. Despite her avoidance of Mary, she did set out a stack of books and magazines that she thought Mary might be interested in, but Hilda was the one who ended up taking them upstairs.

It was now Friday, and Zelda found herself with nothing to do, as she was completely caught up on all of her work, and it was a slow day. She had taken a nap on the couch, looked over her schedule for the next week, and swept the entirety of the downstairs portion of the house. Hilda had gone into to town to run errands, and Zelda was left alone with her thoughts of the woman who was upstairs in her bedroom. She was slowly pacing in the living room, cigarette holder in hand. She really wanted to go upstairs and see Mary, but she didn’t want to make the other woman uncomfortable, let alone herself. She felt the now familiar stirrings of lust and anxiety in her stomach and sighed, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. 

 _Fuck it, I’m just going to in there and see how she is doing_. 

Zelda disposed of her cigarette and squared her shoulders, walking up the stairs with purpose in her stride. When she got to her room, she gently rapped on the door with her knuckles, waiting for a response.

“Come in!” Mary’s voice called. Zelda’s heartbeat started to pick up immediately. She pushed open the door and looked at the smaller woman, clad in the now freshly washed clothes she had arrived in. She had her hair braided back into two French braids, and her glasses sat on her nose. Zelda let her eyes trace over every detail of Mary sitting on top of the covers, a book in her lap. 

“Hi, Mary” Zelda looked down at the ground. “I uh, I just wanted to see how you were feeling.” 

“I am tired, but feeling much better. As a matter of fact, I think I am feeling well enough to go back home today.” 

Zelda’s heart sank, and a flicker of disappointment crossed her face. Mary noticed the look on Zelda’s face. 

“Do you think you would be able to drive me back into town, since my car is still parked outside of the parlour? 

“Yes of course!” Zelda answered quickly, “I mean, sure, if you want me to….” she trailed off, now looking at her hands, which she wrung nervously. 

“Of course I want you to. I really enjoy spending time with you” Mary’s voice got quiet, and Zelda looked up, Mary now interested in an imaginary piece of lint on her leggings. Zelda opened and closed her mouth several times and blinked, not sure what to say. A blush rose over her cheeks and she let her eyes close, trying to gather herself. 

“Very well then. Just let me know when you are ready to go, and we will be off. I am pretty much finished with work for the day, so we can leave any time.” 

“Okay” Mary smiled, eyeing Zelda’s black-clad form. 

Zelda offered Mary a quick smile in return before turning and reaching for her closet door. She opened it and grabbed her purse from the closet and left the room, walking quickly down the hall. 

 _God, I need to calm down. I need another cigarette…_  

Once she made it back to the living room, she lit another cigarette, closing her eyes as she took the first drag. She kept thinking about the dream she had. Yes, she was incredibly embarrassed about it, but it also made her feel good. _So good._ Zelda hadn’t really had a dream like that about someone in a long time, and every time she thought about or even looked at Mary, it made her insides melt, her mind envisioning her and Mary tangled in the throes of passion. She took a long drag as she imagined her and Mary, kissing and caressing each other. 

 _Really, Zelda, you can’t be serious! Daydreaming about a woman you hardly know like some wanton fool from one of Hilda’s novels!_  

She held her hand up to her forehead and closed her eyes, breathing deeply as she tried to get her nerves under control. She heard the wood creaking and sound of someone shuffling and she immediately opened her eyes, smoothing her hand through her hair. 

“Zelda? Are you okay?” 

 _Speak of the devil…._  

“Yes. I was just feeling a bit flushed, that’s all.” Zelda took another drag from her cigarette as she looked at Mary. The woman had her coat on, purse in hand, and was standing in the entryway to the living room watching Zelda. She hadn’t even heard Mary come down the stairs. 

“I hope you aren’t getting sick. I hope _I_ didn’t get you sick!” 

“No, Mary, I’m fine. I just….I’ll be right back. Then we can get going.” Zelda put her cigarette in the nearest ashtray and rushed off to the downstairs bathroom. Once inside, she turned on the sink, cupping her hands under the cold water and splashing it over her face. Grabbing the sides of the sink, Zelda groaned and took several more deep breaths. She would definitely have to take care of herself later, when she back from dropping Mary off. Right now, she had to pull herself together. She dried her hands off, and dabbed at her face with a tissue, not wanting to smear her makeup. Opening the bathroom door, she walked out with her usual swagger, her face unreadable. She saw Mary had now moved to one of the chairs near the fireplace, and was flipping through one of Hilda’s magazines. She let her eyes drink in the sight of her, drawn to her neck, the way her hair fell across it, her beautiful, quirky ears, _her._ Zelda let herself stare a bit longer before clearing her throat and pretending like she hadn’t been staring. 

“Alright Mary. I’m ready to go when you are.” 

“Oh! Perfect! I’m ready now!” Mary smiled, the sight of her dimples making Zelda feel a bit weak in the knees. She walked to the coat rack near the front door and put on a large coat, and some oversized sunglasses. She stepped outside into the cool air and Mary followed behind her, squinting and blinking in the sunlight. 

“It’s such a lovely day outside” Mary beamed, walking down the stairs of the porch. She stopped at the bottom and tilted her head back into the sunshine, eyes closed, a smile on her face. Zelda locked the front door of the house and turned around, smiling to herself as she saw Mary. She was _painfully_ adorable. Zelda couldn’t believe how much of a sap she was turning into over this woman. She walked down the stairs of the porch and stopped when she was next to Mary. 

“Are you ready?” 

Mary brought her head back forward and opened her eyes, swaying slightly as she stood up straight. Zelda’s hand immediately went to the small of her back. 

“You okay?” 

“Yes. I’m just still a bit unsteady on my feet. I should be feeling better soon though.” 

“Let’s get you back, then” Zelda gently rubbed the small of Mary’s back before removing her hand. The two women walked towards the Volvo, and relief washed over Zelda when she realized that Hilda must’ve taken the hearse into town to run her errands. She unlocked the car and the two women slid inside, buckling themselves into their seats. Zelda started up the car and slowly drove away from the house. 

“Do you mind if I put on the radio? Zelda asked. 

“Nope.” 

Zelda reached to turn the radio on, and was greeted with the Ravel’s “Daybreak”, from _Daphnis Et Chloe_. It was still in the first few measures of the piece, the swelling of the flutes, piccolos, and strings instantly calming Zelda’s nerves.

“Oh, I just love this song!” Mary exclaimed, turning to look at Zelda as she recognized the piece.

“It is one of my favorites, as well. It is just so incredibly beautiful, ethereal, and other-worldly.” 

“It really is” Mary replied, eyes on Zelda. 

Zelda relaxed for the rest of the car ride. The radio station ended up playing the _Daphnis Et Chloe_ suite in full. The next song that came on was Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending”, a piece which never failed to make Zelda tear up. They continued to drive on in silence, Zelda feeling her eyes start to water as the violin soared, going back and forth with the rest of the orchestra, sounding like the bird in the piece’s name. Mary studied Zelda as they drove along, and she saw her chin wobble slightly, tears rolling down her cheeks as the strings came down from their peak. As the song ended, she sniffled, reaching up behind her sunglasses to wipe some tears away from her eyes. 

“What an absolutely gorgeous piece” Mary commented. I need to listen to more of Vaughan Williams’ work.” 

“You really should. He is one of my favorite composers. Such an exquisite body of work” Zelda replied, clearing her throat. Several more pieces played on the radio, and Mary and Zelda rode along in a pleasant silence, taking in the music. They were now almost back to the massage parlour, and Zelda felt her heart sink a bit as they started to drive past the familiar buildings of Greendale. Mary would be returning to her own home soon, to her own room and bed. 

 _I wish I had spent more time chatting with her over these past few days. She really is an alluring and kind-hearted woman._  

Zelda pulled away from the traffic light they were at, and saw her family’s hearse parked outside of Dr. Cerberus’s. The light turned green, and Zelda drove close to the curb in  front of Mary’s business. She maneuvered it a bit until she was close enough for Mary to step out without having to hop over the gutter. She put the car in park and turned it off, sighing as she took off her sunglasses. 

“Well, we’re here.” Zelda turned to look at Mary. 

“Yes we are…..” Mary trailed off, eyes now looking directly into Zelda’s. 

“I--” 

“You--” 

They both started at the same time, before smiling. 

“You go first,” Mary prodded. 

“I was just going to say for you to take care of yourself, and that we enjoyed having you, despite the circumstances.” Zelda blushed as she now looked down at the center console, and then her lap. Mary reached out to take Zelda’s hand between hers. Zelda’s heartbeat sped up. 

“Thank you _so_ much, Zelda. You went out of your way to help me. You and Hilda, and I really appreciated it.” Mary let her thumbs quickly caress the back of Zelda’s hand. 

“It really was no problem, Mary.” 

“It really meant a lot to me, though……” Mary trailed off, taking a deep breath before speaking again. “I uh, I was wondering if you would be interested in um, going to have lunch with me sometime? As a thank you, of sorts?” 

Zelda didn’t know what to say. Of course she wanted to spend more time with Mary, but she didn’t want to admit how she was feeling, just yet. She went back and forth in her mind, and realized that she couldn’t just let Mary sit there waiting on her to answer. 

“Sure, why not.” 

“Great. I will get back to you later, with the details” Mary smiled, and slowly released Zelda’s hand. “Also, we need to schedule your next massage. I know you’ve been very busy with work, and it’s been over a week since your last session with me.” 

“We can worry about it once you are feeling better. I don’t want you worrying about customers when you aren’t feeling well.” 

“You’re too kind. I will rest up tomorrow and Sunday, and I should be good to go on Monday.” 

“Okay, but I’m still going to check on you to see how you are doing. I don’t want you overexerting yourself.” 

“I promise I will be careful, Zelda. And thanks again. For everything. I know I already thanked you, but I really do appreciate it.” 

“And as I already said, you are very welcome.” Zelda smiled at Mary. The two women looked into each others’ eyes once more, and Mary blushed. 

“Well, I guess I will see you, then” Mary said, eyes not leaving Zelda’s. 

“Yes….” Zelda was captivated by Mary’s eyes, the rapid blinking, the way she seemed to look through to her soul. She wasn’t ready to look away just yet. The feeling from earlier that morning had returned, the familiar mixture of butterflies in her stomach, and heat much lower, between her legs. She reached out her hand to touch Mary’s forearm, and spoke in a soft voice. 

“Take care of yourself, Mary.” 

Mary placed her other hand on top of Zelda’s hand and squeezed it. 

“I will.” 

Zelda slowly withdrew her hand, and the moment was over. Mary unbuckled her seatbelt, and opened the car door, glancing back at Zelda as she slid out of the car. She shut the door and bent down to wave at Zelda before walking up the path to the side of the house, where she parked her car days earlier. Zelda leaned her head back on her headrest and closed her eyes, blowing out a large breath of air. She could still feel the spot on her hand where Mary had touched it earlier. Zelda groaned and covered her face. She was _so_ done for.

_I had better get out of here and get home before I burst into flames in my own car._

 

* * *

 

On the entire drive back to the Spellman house, Zelda replayed all of the memories of Mary she had. Every look, every touch, every word she had said, the way she said her name. It didn’t help that Zelda was extremely horny, and hadn’t really had anyone show her interest like this in a very long time. Not since _Faustus_. Zelda shuddered, bile rising to the back of her throat as she remembered how her last relationship ended. She never wanted to go down that path again. She had become so power hungry that she failed to see Faustus for what he truly was. 

 _A monster_ . _An evil, misogynistic pig._  

She never thought she would ever have another relationship after the anguish she experienced at the hands of one of Greendale’s most controversial politicians. He manipulated and lied to her. What started out as a bit of a kinky power play ended with Zelda afraid to leave Faustus’s home, him controlling her every move. It all came to a head when Hilda came over one night unannounced. She had suspected that things weren’t going as well as her sister lead her to believe. Those suspicious were confirmed when Zelda answered the door trembling, a bruise forming around her eye. A lot had happened after that, with police involvement, restraining orders, lawyers, and Zelda moving back into the Spellman house, vowing to not let herself get involved with anyone again. It hurt too much. She was afraid to risk opening up her heart to someone again, only to have it crushed. She built up a wall around herself, to stay safe. And yet, this Mary Wardwell had somehow started to chip away at that wall, and began to seep through the small cracks she had made. Zelda had been gone in her thoughts for so long that she didn’t realize that she was already driving down the road to her house. She parked her car and got out, still feeling a bit flustered from earlier. She unlocked the front door and went up to her bedroom. She locked her bedroom door behind her, and sat down on her bed, kicking off her shoes and dropping her purse to the floor. She was still quite tired from the past few days. Feverish, arousing thoughts of her dream of Mary had stressed Zelda out to the point that she was tossing and turning in her sleep. Especially because Mary had been in the same room as her. There was no way she could relax while the person she desired the most, was mere inches away from her.

Zelda laid back on top of her bed, fully clothed. Her mind conjured up Mary’s smiling face in the car earlier. Zelda replayed the scene again, only this time, she leaned forward to brush her lips against Mary’s. In her daydream, the kept kissing, slowly, sweetly, and Zelda held Mary’s face in her hands. She then imagined kissing her way down Mary’s neck, tasting her skin. Zelda moaned, knowing she wouldn’t make it out of this daydream without taking care of herself. She sat up and very neatly lifted up her dress, and pulled her stockings down and off. She folded them and sat the aside on the bed next to her before pulling down her underwear as well. She sat her underwear on top of her stockings and laid back down. She lazily let her hand drift between her thighs as she imagined kissing Mary, only this time Mary was lying beneath her, and she was moaning and begging while Zelda teased her. Zelda began to pleasure herself, letting her mind run uncharacteristically free with various scenarios of her and Mary, entangled with each other, kissing, caressing, making love. Zelda normally didn’t have moments like this, where she just dwelled on her desires, unashamed. She could feel a sweat breaking out on her chest as her hand worked faster. She was panting now, and could feel the beginning of her orgasm starting up. She imagined Mary urging her over the edge as she cried out, white hot light bursting behind her eyelids. Zelda’s body went limp as she took her hand from between her legs, wiping it against her thigh. She let her eyes drift closed while she caught her breath. She would have to do that more often.

 

* * *

 

Zelda awoke from her drowsy, post-orgasm state to a buzzing sound, and realized it was her phone, vibrating across the floor. It must’ve fallen out of her purse. She quickly sat up, smoothing her dress down and hopped off of the bed, shakily reaching for her cell phone. It was Hilda calling. She swiped her finger across the screen to answer it. 

“Hilda.”

“Oh hi Zelda! I was just wondering if you wanted me to pick up some carryout while I was in town. I was thinking maybe from that one Italian place that Sabrina and Ambrose like? I don’t know when Ambrose will be back from Luke’s, but I know Sabrina would love to come home to some pasta. What do you think sis?” 

Zelda put the phone on speaker as she listened to her sister babble on. She grabbed her underwear and put them back on, and then her stockings as Hilda talked. 

“Zelda? I said what do you think about Italian for dinner tonight?” 

“Oh. Yes, Hilda, sorry. That sounds lovely. I will open up one of our bottles of wine. I think we have some nice vintages that I have been saving.” 

“Perfect! I will see you later then-oh! Hello there! I haven’t seen you in such a long time!” 

Zelda rolled her eyes as Hilda started talking to someone in the background. 

“Hilda! I’m hanging up now. I will see you later” Zelda spoke loudly into the phone. 

“Oh, right-- I’ve just got my sister on the line, do you mind waiting a sec?” Hilda whispered to whoever she was talking to in the background. “Okay, bye Zelds! See you at home!” 

Zelda smiled again and shook her head as she hung up the phone.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the day went by very quickly, and Zelda found herself waiting around to hear from Mary. So far, she hadn’t heard anything from the other woman. Dinner came and went, and her family made small talk, which she was barely able to engage in. She spent the rest of the night by the fireplace, with an entire bottle of whiskey in hand, cell phone in her lap. She had drifted off at some point, and awoke to a darkened room. The fireplace was not much more than a few glowing embers, and a blanket had been draped over her. She stumbled up to her room, cursing herself for drinking so much. 

 _I am certainly going to regret this tomorrow_. 

And she did. When the next morning came, Zelda woke up with a terrible hangover. Hilda was there when she woke up, and she stayed with her all morning, doctoring her. Zelda wasn’t able to get out of the bed until later that afternoon. She showered, changed her clothes, and made herself presentable, as if nothing had happened. When she returned to her bedroom, she heard her phone vibrating. _Hilda must’ve brought it upstairs_ , she thought, as she rushed over to her nightstand. She picked up the phone and saw that it was only a message from Hilda, checking in to see if she felt up to having a late lunch, as she was preparing something downstairs. Zelda swiped and unlocked her phone, quickly typing a reply. She sat down on the edge of her bed and thought for a moment before quickly standing up and rushing over to her dresser, where she had placed the card with Mary’s cell phone number written on the back of it. She moved some of her things aside and found the card, walking back over to her bed as she read the number. She opened up the address book on her phone, and added Mary as a new contact. Once she entered all of her information, she clicked on “Send new message.” Zelda’s palms began to sweat as she looked at the now blank text box, cursor flashing, waiting for text to be added. She quickly typed a simple message: 

 _Hey Mary! It’s me, Zelda. I just wanted to check in on you, to see how you were feeling._  

She hit send and stared at the screen, wondering if Mary was even near her phone and able to reply. To Zelda’s luck, she saw three little dots pop up in the left hand corner of the screen, indication that Mary was typing a response. She held her breath as she waited for Mary’s message to come through. 

 _Zelda! I’m feeling a bit better. I’m still kind of tired, but I have been taking some cold/flu medication that is making things a bit easier. How are you?_  

Zelda read the message over twice, wondering what she should say in response. She wasn’t feeling the greatest, for she was preoccupied with Mary. She had already drank more than she normally would have in less than a 24-hour period. Zelda’s phone made a swooping noise, as a second message from Mary appeared. 

 _Are you busy right now?_  

Zelda quickly typed _No_ in response. Then her phone began to ring, and Zelda’s heart began to thump nervously against her chest. Mary was calling her. She accepted the call, and raised the phone to her ear with a shaky hand. 

 _Come on Zelda, pull yourself together!_  

“Hello?” Mary’s sweet voice questioned.

“Hi Mary. How are you?” Zelda could almost see the smile she knew the other woman had on her face.

“I’m doing okay. I just, wanted to call, so I could talk about our date--I mean, get together.” 

Zelda’s heart continued to beat nervously. _A date?!_  

“Yes….” Zelda trailed off, not sure what to say. 

“So, how does Tuesday afternoon look for you? I have a nice window of time from twelve noon until four o’clock.” 

Zelda mentally went over her schedule for the next week. She was pretty much caught up on everything. Even if she weren’t, she would still find a way to schedule her work time around the date with Mary. 

“Tuesday works…..”

“Great! I will see you then! Meet me at the shop--oh! And don’t forget to wear something comfortable!”

 

* * *

 

Zelda’s nerves were frayed in the days leading up to her date with Mary. She was extremely tense, and hardly gave herself a moment to rest, working constantly. She figured if she stayed busy, she wouldn’t have to give into the anxiety that plagued her. She hadn’t been on a date in years, and she was so worried that something would happen, that she would embarrass herself. By the time Monday came around, Zelda was on edge, and started to snap at her family members. She had tossed and turned all weekend, and the tension was making her neck start to hurt again. Hilda had noticed immediately, and tried to calm her nerves by giving her tea and pushing her in the direction of her favorite armchair. That night, Zelda tossed and turned once more, and woke up on Tuesday feeling completely drained. Zelda frantically went through her morning routine, and the entire family was busy getting ready to go their own ways that morning. Sabrina was running out the door for school, Ambrose was going to run errands for the mortuary in town, and Hilda was getting ready for work at Dr. Cee’s. Zelda was in the kitchen, trying to make herself a cup of tea. She was just about to take the now steeping tea over to the kitchen table when Hilda spoke to her. She whipped her head around towards her sister, and some of the hot tea sloshed out of the teacup onto her hand, causing her to cry out and drop both the cup and saucer, sending them to the floor. Everyone in the kitchen stopped what they were doing and looked at Zelda. 

“Fuck!” Zelda swore, unapologetically as she grabbed a dish towel off of the counter and sank to her knees, mopping up the mess. She was muttering under her breath as she went to gather the broken pieces of the cup and saucer, and in her haste, one of the pieces sliced into the palm of her hand. She inhaled loudly and held her hand to her chest, swearing once more. Ambrose and Sabrina looked at each other with wide eyes, and quietly excused themselves from the room. Hilda was already out of her seat the moment Zelda dropped her cup. She walked around the counter and saw her sister clutching her hand to her chest, and a few droplets of blood that had dripped to the floor. 

“Zelda what happened?” Hilda asked as she bent to help her sister up from where she was sitting on the floor. Zelda’s eyes were watering as she stood to her feet. Hilda walked her over to the sink and ran the water, putting Zelda’s hand underneath the cool stream. 

“Ouch! It _stings_.” Zelda hissed out, trying to jerk her hand away. Hilda kept a gentle but firm hand around Zelda’s wrist, keeping her hand under the the water.

“I know, I just want to make sure we rinse it out before I check to see if there is any glass or anything stuck in there.” Hilda left the room briefly, and came back with a first aid kit. 

Zelda pulled her hand from under the faucet and studied it. She watched as tiny red droplets bubbled up out of the thin, two-inch slice in her palm. Hilda had laid out some bandages on the kitchen counter, and was wearing her glasses. She also had a pair of tweezers set out. 

“Here, let me see” Hilda instructed, using some gauze to wipe away the blood. She held her sister’s perfectly manicured hand up to her face, glasses pushed down on her nose. “It looks like it was a clean cut. I’m just going to wrap this up for you, and you should be good to go.” 

Zelda didn’t reply. She simply looked down at her hand as Hilda applied some ointment to it before starting to wrap it up. She couldn’t believe how clumsy she had been. The whole idea of going on a date after so long threw her off. Especially because it was with Mary Wardwell, one of the sweetest people Zelda ever had met. 

“There you go. Right as rain.” Hila replied as she tucked in the piece of gauze. She kept Zelda’s hand in her own, palm up, and she looked at Zelda’s face.

“Zelda, I want you to know that everything is going to be okay with Mary this afternoon. Don’t worry about a thing. It will be fine. She really likes you, and you two are going to have a wonderful time.” 

Zelda nodded, biting her lip and holding her non-injured hand across her stomach. 

“Just remember to breathe, okay? You’ll be fine.” Hilda smiled at her sister and placed a kiss on her cheek before going to tidy up the first aid kit materials. Zelda said nothing, instead silently went over to where she kept her cigarettes in the living room, and placed one in her holder and lit it, taking a long drag before exhaling.

 

* * *

 

Zelda smoked several cigarettes while waiting until it was time to leave to go meet up with Mary. She couldn’t stay still, and found herself walking around the outside of the house, trying to take in some fresh air to calm herself down. After her fourth lap around the Spellman property, and a pep talk to herself, she figured she should head into town. She went inside and brushed her teeth before gathering her purse and coat. She slid into her car and reminded herself to breathe, before starting her car and making her way into town. The drive seemed to go quicker than usual, and Zelda found herself growing more nervous by the minute. Her stomach was doing backflips, and her fingers became sweaty on the steering wheel. She continued to take breaths and tried to think of how calming Mary’s presence was, and how she didn’t have to be nervous. That only worked for a while, until Zelda got closer to town. When she first pulled into Greendale proper, passing the familiar traffic signals and storefronts, her hands started to shake. 

 _Breathe Zelda, just breathe. It’s like Hilda said, everything will be fine. Mary and I are friends--I think…? There is no need to get into a tizzy over lunch with a friend…..but you shouldn’t want to kiss your friends, and you most certainly don’t dream about them…...ugh._  

Zelda pulled her car into an empty spot on the street in front of Mary’s shop, and parked it, giving herself one last moment to take a few deep breaths before stepping out of the car, coat and purse in hand. She locked her car and walked up to the front door, feigning confidence. 

 _Here goes nothing, I guess._  

Zelda lifted her hand to open the door, and stepped inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can listen to "Daybreak" [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M0boaBa6QM) and "The Lark Ascending" [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR2JlDnT2l8)
> 
> I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. I've been feeling super burnt out lately :-/


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary and Zelda go on their first date.

When Zelda opened the door to the massage parlour, she noticed that there was a large picnic basket sitting on the front counter. The relaxing music that was usually playing suddenly cut out, and some lights in the back turned off. 

“Zelda, is that you?”  Mary’s voice called out from the back. 

“Yes, yes, it’s me.” Zelda replied, silently relieved that she had a moment to collect herself before facing the woman again. Zelda looked around the room aimlessly, just trying to calm herself down. She closed her eyes and took some deep breaths again before she heard Mary’s footsteps approaching, the wooden floor creaking.

“Hey! Wow, you look great!” Mary complimented Zelda with a large smile across her face. 

“Thank you” Zelda replied, a blush coloring her cheeks. “You look nice too….” 

Mary’s hair was pinned up and away from her face, leaving her neck on display. Zelda took in the makeup-free face, her pink lips. She was wearing a brown, oversized men’s sweater, and the collar of her white blouse was turned down over the top edge. Zelda let her eyes travel lower, and her mouth watered at the sight of Mary’s legs, clad in dark blue jeans. On her feet, she wore olive green boots, the kind that were stylish yet practical. Zelda’s breath hitched as she nervously shifted her coat from one hand to the other. Mary wasn’t wearing anything particularly fancy, and yet she still looked _beautiful_. 

“Zelda, your hand! What happened?” Mary rushed forward, taking Zelda’s hand in-between her two. Zelda opened and closed her mouth several times, before finally speaking. 

“I had a bit of an accident this morning. It’s fine now.” 

Mary looked at her with sympathetic eyes, and slowly brought Zelda’s hand up to her mouth, placing a kiss on top of the bandages, her eyes never leaving Zelda’s. Zelda felt like the air had been sucked out of the room, and heat flooded her belly. Her hand prickled where Mary touched it. 

“Please be careful I don’t want you to get hurt.” Mary looked like her eyes were starting to water. 

“I just got a bit nervous this morning, and wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing. It’s really nothing.” 

“Were you nervous about our lunch?” 

Zelda blushed again, her cheeks burning.

“I uh,” she chuckled nervously, “yes, as a matter of fact I was.” 

Mary observed the nervous woman, wide eyes studying every subtlety of Zelda’s facial expressions. She was _stunning_. 

“Zelda, you don’t have to be nervous with me. If you ever feel nervous, know that I will do whatever I can to make you comfortable.” Mary gently swiped the pad of her thumb over Zelda’s palm as she released her hand.

“Thank you Mary” Zelda replied. Time seemed to stop the whole time she stared into Mary’s eyes. 

“Let’s get going, shall we?” Mary walked back over to the desk and grabbed the picnic basket. 

“Here.” Mary handed Zelda the picnic basket and pulled car keys out of her pocket, also handing them to Zelda. “I’m going to lock up. You can get in the car and I’ll be right there.”

“Which car is yours?”

“Oh! The blue Prius right out in front, to the right.” 

Zelda nodded and went outside, pushing the button on the key fob to unlock the car. She placed the picnic basket on the back seat, and then opened the passenger side door, sliding into the seat. Zelda looked around as she leaned her head back against the headrest. She smiled when she looked out the window and saw Mary rushing over to the car. Mary slid into the car and sighed happily. 

“Okay! Now we’re all ready to go!” Mary pulled her cellphone out of her back pocket before buckling her seatbelt and unlocked her phone. 

“So, I made you a Ralph Vaughan Williams playlist. I know you said he is one of your favorite composers. I’ve been listening to a lot of his work these past few days and I am definitely a fan. I thought it would be something fun to listen to while we drive.”

Zelda felt her eyes start to tear up as she looked over at Mary, her heart clenching in her chest. 

 _How did I get so lucky, to have this dear, thoughtful person in my life? When did I get so emotional over everything?_  

“Thank you, Mary. That is really so sweet of you.” Zelda’s offered her a watery smile, which Mary returned in equal vigor. 

“Let’s get going!” Mary started the car and pushed play on her phone, before pulling away from the curb. Zelda noticed they were headed towards the other end of town, and took in the passing scenery. 

“Where exactly are we headed?”

“It is a place I like to call my secret spot. It is in the woods, just outside of Moon Valley.” 

“Moon Valley? Isn’t that the place where all of those weird things happened several years back?” 

“Well, yes, but it isn’t _quite_ in Moon Valley. Just near there. Besides, I would never take you somewhere dangerous.” Mary looked over at Zelda and smiled before turning her eyes back to the road.

 

* * *

 

The two drove in silence for about 45 minutes, occasionally commenting on the music. Zelda took in the scenery around her as they drove. She usually didn’t go this far of Greendale, and it had been several years since she last traveled down this road to go across the river to Riverdale. It was a gorgeous day outside, Zelda noted, as they continued to wind down the road, large pine trees standing to attention, the river winding its way through the forest alongside them. Some birds flew by overhead and Zelda imagined what it would be like to be one of them, to be able to just fly off whenever you wanted, to feel the wind beneath your wings as you soared high above all of your problems and anxieties, to truly be free. She felt her eyes start to prickle with tears once more, and she swallowed before clearing her throat.   

“Aaaand, we’re here.” 

Zelda turned her face from the passenger side window and looked to where they had pulled aside. They had parked in a dirt turnout near the side of the road, that had a sign with the names of the next few cities over, and how many miles away they were. 

“We’re going to have to walk a bit. I hope you don’t mind.” 

“That will be fine. I did wear something comfortable.” Zelda looked down at her jeans and her black leather boots. She rarely left the house in jeans, but was able to find a designer pair in the back of her closet that were acceptable. 

Mary unbuckled her seatbelt and popped the trunk. She then appeared by Zelda’s side of the car with blankets in her arms. She opened the door, and got out. 

“Would you mind carrying these?” 

“Sure.” Zelda took the blankets from Mary and stood up, grabbing her purse at the last moment. Mary tossed her purse in the trunk and closed it before coming around to the back door. She grabbed the picnic basket and closed the door with her hip, and reaching into her pocket for the key to lock the car. 

“And now for the adventure.” Mary smiled at Zelda as she stepped down between the trees. 

“Follow me. And look out for vines and what not. I don’t want you to trip!” 

Zelda looked around uneasily as she followed Mary between the trees. It looked like they were wandering aimlessly through the forest, but Mary seemed to know where to go, as if she had been down this way hundreds of times before. 

“Where, exactly, are we going?” Zelda asked. She didn’t plan to be walking for so long, and wanted to just sit down and relax. 

“You’ll see. There is a glen up ahead that my parents used to bring me to when I was a little girl. It is practically paradise.” 

Zelda could feel her anxiety trying to make itself known again. 

 _What if we get lost? What if something happens and one of us has to stay here alone while the other goes for help?_  

She tried to calm the slight panic that arose inside of her, and reminded herself that Mary wouldn’t take her anywhere that she didn’t think was safe. Mary looked back at Zelda, to make sure she was still following along.

“We’re almost there!” Mary chirped, a spring in her step. Zelda offered her a smile in return as they continued to trek through the trees. 

When they finally arrived to the glen, Zelda’s breath was taken away by the view. The forest gave away to a clearing filled with lush grass, and a view of the rolling hills in the distance. The normally overcast sky had cleared up a bit, and there were clouds that looked like cotton balls stuck together, floating by in a clear blue sky. There was a light breeze, and various birdsongs drifted along in the air. 

“Isn’t it lovely?” Mary asked, as she walked forward and placed the picnic basket on the ground. She walked over to Zelda and took the blanket from her hands, and spread it out. She placed the picnic basket on the blanket, and sat down on the blanket, removing her shoes. 

“Here. Have a seat.” Mary reached up and offered a hand to Zelda, which she took with a smile as she sat down next to Mary on the blanket. Zelda also removed her shoes, and tucked her legs underneath her. Mary opened up the picnic basket and brought out several dishes. She removed the lids from them and Zelda felt her stomach growl. There were small tea sandwiches, some cut up fruit, cookies, and a small pie. Mary reached into the basket again and took out a bottle of red wine, and two stemless wine glasses. She withdrew some napkins from the basket as well, and handed one to Zelda. 

“Feel free to help yourself. I’ll open the wine in a bit, once we’ve had a bit of food in us. I don’t know about you, but it will go to my head if I don’t eat first!” 

Zelda smiled as she reached for a few of the sandwiches, and grabbed a small bunch of grapes. She bit into the sandwich and groaned appreciatively. 

“Who would’ve thought a little sandwich could be so delicious?” 

“I’m glad you like it. I have been trying to perfect my chicken salad recipe for a while now.” 

Mary looked at Zelda while she ate her sandwich, blue eyes focused in an intense gaze. 

“So, uh,” Zelda gulped, her heart starting to flutter, “...why did you want to take me out on a date anyways?” 

Mary put down the sandwich piece she had been nibbling on, and wiped her mouth, looking down at her lap, and then back into Zelda’s eyes. She began to wring her hands nervously. 

“Well….I um, I really wanted to get to know you better….and I uh…..oh, damn…” Mary’s voice trailed off, and she looked away from their picnic, away from Zelda, and over to her left, across the glen. She muttered to herself under her breath, and took a deep breath before speaking again. 

“Zelda I--I uh, I really think you are a wonderful person, a beautiful woman, and I just wanted to spend some more time with you, because I think you are kind of amazing.” Mary’s words came out in a rush, and she now focused her gaze on the picnic basket that sat in-between them. Zelda was quiet for a moment, and Mary cursed herself internally, thinking she had done something wrong. She didn’t see the small flicker of a smile that flitted across Zelda’s face. 

“Only _kind of_ amazing?” 

Mary looked up at Zelda to see the redhead smirking at her, and she gave a relieved laugh. 

“Okay, well really amazing.” 

“Hmm. That’s better.” The two women smiled at each other again and laughed nervously. The intensity of their eye contact started to make them both feel a bit flushed, and it was Zelda who broke the eye contact first. 

“Right! Would you like some of that wine now?” Mary asked, now busying herself with the contents of the picnic basket.

“Absolutely!” Zelda exclaimed. A glass of wine would definitely calm her nerves a bit. Zelda watched as Mary poured them both a glass, the dark red liquid sloshing in the glasses.

“Here you go.” Mary held out the glass of wine to Zelda, who took the glass and took a generous gulp. 

“This is delicious. Mmn. Where did you get it?” Zelda asked, continuing to take long sips. 

“It’s actually a bottle that my parents had left behind. It is a vintage Cabernet Sauvignon from 1990.” 

Several gears clicked in Zelda’s head at once. 

“Wait. You mean you brought out your expensive vintage for me? And Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite. How did you know?” 

“Well,” Mary looked around nervously, “I may have called Hilda for some pointers…” 

Zelda’s heart swelled. _Maybe Hilda was right about Mary. Maybe she does have feelings for me._  

“That really is sweet of you, Mary. _You_ are very sweet.” Mary blushed at Zelda’s words. Zelda finished off her glass of wine and looked back at Mary, swallowing the mouthful she had just taken. 

“Are your parents still alive?” Zelda asked. Mary had brought up her parents before, but only briefly, in one of their sessions. 

“No, they...” Mary swallowed, looking down at her lap, “...they passed away about...oh god, it will have been eleven years this fall.” Now, it was Zelda who reached for Mary’s hand, gently squeezing one as she watched Mary become emotional. 

“Do you want to talk about it? It’s okay if you don’t.”

“It’s fine, it’s not that, it’s just…..we had a…..complicated, relationship.” Zelda now took Mary’s hand in the both of hers, gently stroking it, offering support.

“I loved my parents very much. We had a wonderful relationship, especially my dad and I. I just, uh, I didn’t tell them certain things about myself.” 

“We all have things that we haven’t told our parents, Mary. That’s normal.”

“Yes and no. You see, my parents’ main wish for me was to find a nice man, get married, and settle down and have a family. Sadly, that ship has sailed for me.” Mary looked down at her hands that were entwined with Zelda’s. Her chin began to tremble, and she tried and failed to hold back some of the tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes. Zelda’s heart clenched at the sight of Mary in pain. She couldn’t take it. She moved the remains of her lunch aside and scooted so that she was sitting next to Mary. As she placed her arm across Mary’s trembling shoulders. The crying woman lifted up her glasses to wipe at her eyes with her napkin, sniffling as she tried to compose herself. 

“I’m sorry. I just get--it’s really hard for me to talk about. I usually don’t tell people.” 

“That’s okay. I’m glad that you feel safe enough with me to talk about it” Zelda replied, heart warming at the sight of Mary smiling through her tears. She pulled her arm back once she was sure the other woman was okay, and waited for her to continue her story. 

“Um, so where was I….”

“You were mentioning something about your father?” 

“Yes…..well, as I may have told you before, my family comes from Scotland. My dad’s side, at least. My mom’s side comes from the New England area, but they can trace their roots to England as well--though one of my great grandparents by marriage on my mom’s side is from Spain….anyways, I am getting off track.” 

Zelda smiled watching the animated way she talked about history and her family. The woman really was quite adorable. 

“My dad comes from a long line of pastors, and he himself was one as well. He was very conservative about most things, though he did like to have his wine occasionally. I grew up in a somewhat sheltered home, and I didn’t really get to know much about life on the ‘outside’.” Mary made quotes in the air with her fingers, and Zelda chuckled. 

“When I was in junior high school and high school, I started to go to the library to read books that I knew my parents wouldn’t let met check out. I read everything I could get my hands on, and learned so much. I also read books on relationships...” Mary’s face grew very red, and she suddenly seemed very embarrassed. She paused and reached for her wine glass, suddenly draining the entire thing in one go. 

“Careful there, drinking that so quickly,” Zelda teased, the wine she had earlier now starting to make her feel a bit relaxed. Mary just smiled nervously in reply and licked her lips before speaking again. 

“I um, I hadn’t really dated anyone until later on in life, when I became a teacher. I never really got into the whole dating scene, and thought I would be single for my entire life. Especially living here in Greendale. I did go to college at Green River University, which as you know is a good two hours away. It still has the same small town feel as Greendale, and Riverdale. I didn’t have very many friends at school, and mostly kept to myself. I met Adam when I was visiting church, with my parents. It was the first time I had ever had anyone interested in me--well, that I knew of. We dated each other for years, and my parents were pushing for us to get married, to make things official. Adam was nice, kind, and I tried to stay with him to make my parents happy. Everyone thought we were the perfect couple, the ‘wholesome’ couple that everyone admired. The other teachers at school used to joke about how Adam and I seemed like we had been married for ages, even though we hadn’t gotten married yet. I just, I just couldn’t. We had talked about marriage, and I _really_ wanted to make my parents happy. I also really wanted to have a family. When they...when my parents died, I tried to stay with Adam, to keep up appearances, but I just couldn’t do it. I only considered marrying him so that I could have kids...but I _couldn’t_ do it.” 

Zelda reached out again to give Mary’s hand a comforting squeeze, knowing all too well the pain of wanting to have children and not being able to. 

“Mary, do you have any siblings?” 

“Nope. It’s just me. And I’ve been alone since then, too scared to try again.” Mary smiled sadly, as she stared a a spot in the distance.

“Why did you end things with Adam, if you don’t mind me asking?” Zelda asked shyly, feeling like she was prying too much. 

“Well……: Mary took a deep breath before continuing. “I don’t think I like men--no, I just--they are not for me.” Mary now blushed deeply again, not able to look at Zelda. Her hands began to sweat and she pulled her hand from Zelda’s and adjusted her glasses. She brought her hands to her lap and began to wring them together nervously. Zelda realized that this was a very big moment for Mary, and her heart lurched happily at the fact that Mary was so comfortable with her. 

“Mary, you know it’s okay, right? I accept you for who you are, regardless. Besides, it is twenty nineteen, not the nineteen hundreds.” 

Mary looked up at Zelda, eyes wide and shining. “Thank you, Zelda. I just….I can’t help but wonder if my parents would have accepted me….that’s why I tried for so long to keep up things with Adam. It was hard, though. I’m just glad that I finally got enough courage to break things off.”

Zelda simply responded by leaning over to brush away a tear that had rolled down Mary’s cheek. She let her hand linger before realizing what she was doing and pulling her hand back, a bit embarrassed. Both women looked around awkwardly before Mary spoke again. 

“We should probably have some of this dessert, don’t you think?” 

“It looks absolutely delicious Mary, but I think I may wait a bit.” Zelda had been nibbling on things while Mary was talking, and had actually gotten quite full. Mary stood up to reposition her legs underneath her body and swayed a little. 

“Whoa.” 

“You okay there?” 

“Yes. I think I just drank my wine a bit too quickly. I don’t usually drink….much.” 

“Hmmn. We had better let you relax for a while so it can wear off a bit.” 

“I think I’ll just lay down for a while, if you don’t mind?”

“Help yourself” Zelda gestured to the blanket, moving over her napkin and empty wine glass aside. Mary pushed the picnic basket aside and slid down onto her back, placing one arm behind her head and letting her eyes drift shut for a second. Zelda looked down at Mary, how peaceful she looked, how _kissable_ her lips looked. It took everything in her to not gasp out loud when Mary suddenly opened her eyes, looking directly at Zelda.

“You know you can join me, if you like. I promise I won’t bite.” 

Zelda smiled nervously, hesitating a bit before maneuvering so that she was lying down next to Mary. She crossed her legs at the ankles and looked up at the sky. Zelda felt like she could get lost in the blue of the sky, watching the puffy white clouds float by. 

“These clouds are extremely beautiful” Zelda commented, trying to calm her breathing as she felt Mary scoot a bit closer next to her on the blanket. 

“They really are.” 

There was a moment of silence as the two women just enjoyed the moment of stillness, watching the clouds. They started to point out various animals and shapes, and ended up giggling. Both were certainly feeling more relaxed than when their date had started. 

“Zelda?” 

“Mhmmn?”

“You are really lucky to have a family, you know. Especially Hilda. I used to dream of having a sister when I was younger.”

Hilda didn’t always use to get along, you know. We still have had, and still do have our moments. Most of our fights are my fault. I have been unspeakably cruel to her in the past. She has saved my life, literally, and continues to show me love. And yet I have still been unkind to her...” Zelda’s voice wobbled a bit as she thought about the love she had for her sister. Hilda was one of the few people Zelda knew who was always able to make you smile. She could always cheer you up. Hilda always knew what to say to make Zelda feel better, even when Zelda was in one of her moods.. “I don’t really deserve to have a sister like Hilda in my life. I’m not a good person” Zelda’s voice came out in a teary whisper. 

“Don’t say that. Of course you do.” The redhead kept her eyes pointed towards the sky. Mary noticed a tear had rolled down Zelda’s cheek, and fallen into her hair. She reached out to take Zelda’s hand in hers, and felt Zelda squeeze her hand in return. 

“We’ve all done things in the past that we aren’t proud of. That doesn’t mean that we don’t deserve love. _You_ deserve love, Zelda Spellman.” 

Zelda simply nodded, unable to speak just yet. 

“You know, I usually don’t get emotional like this with people I don’t really know” Zelda sniffled. Mary held tight to Zelda’s hand, careful not to squeeze too hard over the bandage. 

“It’s perfectly okay, Zelda. You don’t have to worry about anything with me.” 

The two women laid back and relaxed, just enjoying the feeling of doing nothing, silent, after the intense emotional conversation they had. Zelda’s eyes closed on their own, her hand still in Mary’s, a smile on her face. _This is what bliss feels like,_ she thought, as butterflies briefly fluttered in her stomach. She didn’t mean to fall asleep. She couldn’t help it. She just felt so safe, so comfortable and loved.

 

* * *

 

“Zelda? Zelda?” 

Zelda smiled as she heard Mary’s voice calling her name, a soft hand gently on her shoulder. She stirred slightly before realizing where she was, and she shot upright, heart racing. 

“Zelda?” 

Zelda looked over and down at Mary, who was leaning on her side, looking up at Zelda, her eyes wide. 

“I’m, I’m sorry. I must have fallen asleep.” 

“It’s okay Zelda. Your body probably needed it.”

“What time is it?” Zelda scrambled around for her phone, feeling around the blanket.

“It’s a little after four.”

“Oh. We should probably be getting back then.”

“You’re right. It’s starting to get dark out.” 

Zelda looked at the picnic basket, and then to the containers of food that still sat untouched. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to try the dessert. I know you took the time to make everything.” 

“That’s okay Zelda. I can send it home with you. Besides, you needed the nap.” 

Mary moved to start cleaning up their picnic, Zelda wordlessly joining in to help. They worked in silence, smiling at each other every so often. Once everything was packed away, and they had their shoes back on, Zelda looked over the glen one last time. The sunset sent gorgeous orange rays across the sky, painting the clouds. It had also gotten much colder, now that the sun was gone. The two walked briskly back to the car, Mary humming to herself along the way. It was dark and a bit  once they got back to the car, and Zelda got into the passenger seat, turning around to toss the blankets behind her. She grabbed her coat off of the back of the seat, where she had left it, and draped it across herself, like a blanket. Mary noticed this as she climbed into the car, and turned the heat on immediately upon starting the car.

“Let’s get you warmed up. I can’t send you back home with a cold. Hilda would never let me take you out again!” 

 _She wants to take me out again!_  

Zelda’s heart started to beat quickly again, and a flutter of excitement shot through her belly. Mary put the car into gear, and looked both ways before driving out into the street and turning back towards the other side of the road, in the direction that originally came from. It was now dark outside, and she couldn’t see Mary’s face well, but she still looked over at the woman every so often, and smiled. 

“So when are you planning on taking me out again?” Zelda asked, a teasing tone to her voice. 

“Whenever you want me to, but only after we schedule your next massage. I know I’ve been ill, but I haven’t forgotten about the nice schedule we’ve developed.” 

“I will call you tomorrow and we can talk about the scheduling” Zelda replied, still a bit flustered over the fact that Mary wanted to spend more time with her. 

“Perfect! Oh, I almost forgot! If you want to put some music on, you can. My phone is just there in the cupholder.” 

Zelda reached for the phone and held it out to Mary, for her to unlock it. Mary simply placed her thumb over the home button, not wanting to take her eyes off of the road. Zelda opened the music app and pushed play on the playlist Mary had made for her, picking up where they left off on the drive over. Zelda listened to the rest of song, humming along softly to herself. The music played on and Zelda turned her face towards the window, leaning on the door. She thought about the afternoon she had with Mary. It was the most relaxed she had been in a long time, since she started getting massages. She really enjoyed spending time with Mary, too. She wondered how she would ever be able to tell Mary how she felt. 

 _I have to be honest with myself. I have feelings for Mary. I can’t deny it anymore. I just, I don’t want to let her in to have things go completely wrong, like last time…..Mary isn’t Faustus. She would never, could never be that cruel and evil. I just don’t want her to get hurt because of my own insecurities. The poor woman has had to deal with so much pain and suffering in her life, and she truly deserves to be happy. I don’t know if I can give that to her. What do I really have to offer her? Why can’t I just have one day of happiness without feeling like I am going to ruin it somehow?_  

Zelda’s mind went between negative self-talk and her feelings for Mary, and she really wanted to get home, to smoke some cigarettes and relax with a nice glass of whiskey. 

 _Or maybe bourbon…_  

Caught up in her thoughts once more, and her lingering fatigue, Zelda hadn’t realized that they had arrived back in Greendale and were on the main road heading towards the parlour. 

“Back to reality, again.” Zelda muttered forlornly, as they pulled up to a traffic light. 

“I thought you were sleeping over there.” Mary said, “I was going to let you sleep because I figured you needed it.” 

“No, just thinking.” 

“I hope it was good thoughts.” 

“Kind of.” 

“Well, hopefully thoughts of this afternoon can cheer you back up.” 

The light changed, and Mary drove up to where her shop was, slowing down to turn around and park facing the direction they just came. Zelda watched as Mary bit her lip, a dimple showing, while she focused on parking the car. She was just _so_ cute, even when making funny faces.

Mary parked the car in front of Zelda’s, and turned to look at the redhead, only to find that she was already looking at her. Mary laughed nervously and looked down as she adjusted her glasses. 

“I really had a nice time, Mary. Thank you _so much_ for today.” Mary looked up at Zelda as she spoke, a blush coloring her cheeks 

“I had a nice time too, Zelda, and I’m glad you had fun. We should definitely do it again, when we have the time.” 

“Yes. We should.” Zelda blinked rapidly before looking away from Mary, and gathering her coat and purse. “Well, thank you again. I will call you tomorrow to schedule my massage.” Zelda unbuckled her seatbelt, and opened the car door, shivering as the cool air blew into the car. She placed her purse on the seat, and slipped her coat on, before grabbing her purse and smiling at Mary. 

“Bye Mary.” Zelda closed the car door and pulled her coat tightly around herself. She walked the short distance to her car, and unlocked the door, tossing her purse inside. She was about to sit down when she heard Mary calling her name, rushing over to her. 

“Zelda! Don’t go yet!” Mary was suddenly in front of Zelda, handing her the container with the small pie she had made. 

“You almost forgot the pie! I made it just for you.” 

Zelda smiled at Mary as she took the pie from her without breaking eye contact. 

“Don’t worry about the container. You can send it with Hilda to work and I will pick it up from her, or you can just bring it to your next session, whenever that will be. Basically just don’t worry about it, cause I’m sure we’ll see each other soon again and--” 

Zelda impulsively leaned in and placed a kiss on Mary’s cheek, effectively stopping the nervously rambling woman mid sentence. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears as her heart pounded. When she pulled back, Mary looked quite flushed, from what she could see under the streetlight; however, she had the biggest smile Zelda had ever seen plastered across her face. Mary put her hand up to her mouth, covering her smile as she looked down at her hands, nervously. 

“I’ll see you around” Zelda said smugly, as she slipped into her car and closed the door, leaving Mary standing in shock, smiling to herself. Zelda started her car and reversed it, watching as Mary walked slowly back over to her car, trying to process what happened. She turned her car around and headed in the direction of her house, looking in her rearview mirror to see Mary climb back into her car. 

Zelda pulled up to a traffic light and sighed, leaning back against the headrest. She ran her fingertips over her lips as she recalled the feeling of Mary’s skin underneath them. 

_There is no turning back now…._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who else is still gasping for air after all of the photos and videos that came out of Lucy, Michelle, and Miranda at the Wales comic con this past weekend? I really died this weekend you guys, and I wasn't even there in person! I hope I can meet them all one day. Lucy and Miranda seem so sweet, and Michelle is the life of the party!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda starts to feel the feels, big time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of past abuse

Zelda’s mind was in a strange place after the date with Mary. At first she was elated, going around the house in high spirits, going to bed and waking up with thoughts of the other woman on her mind. She had called Mary the day after their date, but hadn’t been able to get an appointment until a week and a half out. Mary apologized profusely, and offered to come to the house. Zelda told her it was okay, that she would be fine until her appointment. She was a bit disappointed, because it had been a while since she had last had a session with Mary, and her neck was starting to hurt again. She tried to remind herself to breathe, because she knew if she were tense and on edge, it would make things worse. She also wanted to see Mary again, though she’d never admit it. The intensity of the emotions Zelda was feeling caused her to feel a bit off, and it was only so long before Zelda’s anxiety started to creep in, in addition to the neck pain. Thoughts of her last relationship started to arise, though she tried not to think of it. She worried that she would do something to ruin things between her and Mary, before they even started. She was used to being in control, and Faustus had taken that away from her. She worried that Mary would learn of her past, and run away, not wanting anything to do with her. Zelda moped around the house for a few days, deep in thought most of the time.

Mary called her again on Friday, “just to say hi”, she had said, and it lifted Zelda’s spirits immensely. Hilda noticed the change in her sister almost immediately. She saw the poorly hidden blushes and smiles hours after she had gotten off of the phone. She hadn’t seen Zelda like this since they were young girls. They had been busy the rest of the day, everyone in and out of the house, so Hilda figured she would have to catch up with Zelda later. On Saturday morning, her chance came sooner than expected. She caught Zelda in the kitchen, singing Fleetwood Mac to herself while making some coffee.

“Well someone is happier today.”

Zelda immediately stopped humming and poured the hot water into her French press, her face back to its unreadable state.

“Good morning Hilda” Zelda replied, a mild blush coloring her cheeks.

“Zelda, I wanted to ask you about how your date was with Mary. It definitely seems like things went well.”

Zelda looked down, a bit embarrassed to be talking about her feelings. Her anxiety had been giving her a bit of trouble over the past few days, causing her to worry excessively and she didn’t want Hilda to know.

“I uh,” Zelda chuckled, nervously. “It went well.” She nodded at Hilda and turned around, glad that she had something to do so she didn’t have to look at her sister.

“Just well? That’s all?”

Hilda watched as Zelda’s shoulders rose and fell, as she took a deep breath.

“You know you can tell me anything, Zelda. I am always here for you, no matter how bad or embarrassing or silly you think it is. You don’t ever have to hide yourself away.”

“Zelda’s head dropped, and she nodded, before turning around. She had tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face.

“It was really good Hildie. _So_ good.” Zelda reached up to wipe the tears away from her cheeks. Hilda had started to cry as well, her heart clenching at the sight of her sister so moved.

“Why don’t we have ourselves a cup of coffee and you can tell me all about it?”

“Okay.” Zelda nodded and smiled before turning her attention back to the French press. She pushed the plunger down and poured out some coffee into her cup. She grabbed another cup for Hilda, and poured some coffee into it, not filling it as high as hers. She went to the fridge and added some milk to Hilda’s, as she liked it. Zelda brought the two cups over to the kitchen table, where Hilda was already waiting for her. She slid into the seat across from her sister and smiled.

“So how was it? Did you two kiss?” Hilda asked as she reached for the sugar bowl on the table, and added some sugar to her coffee.

“No Hilda, I--we, yes, but not exactly, ugh…” Zelda’s cheeks went bright red, and she suddenly was very interested in her coffee cup.

“Wait. So you _did_ kiss? On the lips?”

“No. I kissed her on her cheek.”

“Well that is still something, Zelda! That is still very sweet. What a proper gentleman of you!” Hilda teased. Zelda rolled her eyes and smiled, shaking her head slightly.

“She is so wonderful, Hilda. She is considerate, sweet, and beautiful. I am so scared, Hildie. I don’t want to ruin things. I always do, like with….him.” Zelda’s voice cracked as she started to softly cry once more.

Hilda reached out for Zelda’s hands, squeezing them tightly.

“Now you listen here, Zelds. You _never_ ruin things, you hear me? You are strong, intelligent, and you deserve to be loved. You did nothing wrong when you were with that monster, you hear me? He was an evil man, and he took advantage of your weaknesses, and he hurt you. _He_ was the one who ruined things, him and him alone. Do you understand?”

Zelda nodded in response and hiccuped, not able to speak just yet. Hilda was a blur through all of the tears, and Zelda took one of her hands out of her sister’s to wipe her eyes.

“I just, I want Mary to know what happened, why I may be scared and holding back. I would love to be with Mary. I _want_ to be with her, more than anything else. I feel so good when I am with her, even after just one date…” Zelda paused for a moment before blurting out “I think I might be falling in love with her.” Zelda’s eyes got wide and she covered her mouth, realizing what she just said. She couldn’t stop the tears that came from her eyes, and she covered her face. She heard Hilda’s chair scrape across the floor, and then felt her arm rubbing her back. She reached for a napkin on the table and brought it up to blow her nose into it, before looking down at Hilda, who was crouched over looking at Zelda. Hilda continued to rub circles on Zelda’s back.

“It’s okay Zelda. It’s okay that you feel this way about Mary. I think it is beautiful. You two definitely have something special together.”

Zelda looked at her sister, a few more new tears making their way down her cheeks.

“Aw Zelds.” Hilda reached up to brush away the tears from her sister’s face, her eyes watering as well.

Zelda’s voice was small when she spoke again.

“I just don’t know how to tell her about Faustus. I don’t want her to think less of me for staying in a situation like that.”

“None of that was your fault, Zelda. She will understand that. You have to cut yourself some slack. What happened with Faustus was NOT your fault at all, not in any way whatsoever. Mary will not love you any less for that. From what you’ve told me, it seems that you feel safe with her. When the time is right, you can tell her what happened. Not now, not today, but in your own time. It’s going to be okay.” Hilda stood back up and kissed Zelda on the forehead, rubbing her back one last time.

“I’m going to go and get you a piece of cake, and we can sit by the fire and enjoy it. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good.” Zelda replied, her voice a bit hoarse. She went to the bathroom and splashed some water over her face before patting it dry with some tissues. She looked in the mirror and sighed.

_You’ve gone soft, Spellman._

Zelda smiled at herself in the mirror, despite the blotchy skin and red eyes that met her gaze. She turned to leave the bathroom, flicking the lights off as she opened the door. True to her word, Hilda had a plate with a large piece of chocolate cake sitting on it on the end table next to Zelda’s usual chair. There also was a glass of what appeared to be whiskey sitting there, too. Zelda’s heart clenched as she felt a surge of affection for her sister. She went to sit down, and Hilda walked over and took a seat next to her, already eating her piece of cake. Zelda silently stuck her fork into the piece of cake and took a bite. She closed her eyes as she savored the spongy cake, the flavors overwhelming her senses. She savored a few bites, silently, before speaking.

“Hilda” Zelda said, swallowing a piece of cake. “I just wanted to say that I really appreciate you. I don’t think I tell you enough. I know we don’t always get along, and, I’m sorry. I really do love you, you know.” Zelda’s eyes started to water again, and she looked over at Hilda whose eyes looked the same.

“Zelda…thank you. I love you too. I will always be here for you, no matter what. Don’t you forget that. And I love seeing you this happy. You truly deserve it, to have someone love you, and make you smile. I am so happy for you.”  Now it was Hilda whose voice cracked, and put her fork down and wiped her face.

“Oh dear. Look at us here, just crying all morning!” Hilda said, as she chuckled.

Zelda smiled before turning back to the fireplace, working on finishing her cake

 

 

* * *

 

Later that day, Hilda found herself at Doctor Cee’s. She had decided to stop by to see what her boyfriend was up to. She hummed happily as she walked around the shop, looking at the different books they had in stock. They had just gotten a new shipment of books. Hilda was looking for the next book in the series of her favorite science fiction romance novels. She was hoping to use her employee discount and grab a copy before they sold out. She scanned the shelves carefully in the romance section, before turning to look up towards the higher shelves. She walked backwards, checking to see if she had overlooked anything. Suddenly, she bumped into someone, their books falling to the floor.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Hilda turned her head and looked, and saw Mary’s surprised face looking back at her.

“Mary! Hey there! How are you doing?” Hilda reached out to hug the woman, cautiously stepping around the pile of books that were at her feet. Mary embraced Hilda in return, and looked around nervously, before pushing her glasses upon her nose.

“Hi Hilda! It’s great to see you!” Mary beamed at Hilda before immediately bending down to pick up the books she had dropped. Hilda looked down at the woman crouched before her, and she bent down to try to help her. She grabbed a brightly-colored book and turned it over. The cover read _Your Guide To Lesbian Sex_ and had a O’Keeffe-esque painting of a flower on the cover.

“Oh.” Hilda said softly. She grabbed another book and saw the title. _Girl On Girl: Your Guide To Pleasing Your Partner_. There were also a few other sex-related books, as well as one on classical music, a baking cookbook, and a receipt. Mary quickly gathered up the books, trying to hide the covers from Hilda. When she stood back up and looked at Hilda, her face was beet red.

“Well, this is embarrassing.” Mary smiled sheepishly, not knowing where to look.

“Don’t be embarrassed, Mary. These things are perfectly normal.”

“I don’t know….it is just a bit _new_ for me, you know, all of that stuff I talked with you about last week. I don’t really know what to do in case, eventually…well” Mary’s cheeks were burning by this point.

“It’s okay Mary. I understand. I used to not even be able to talk about _you know what_ with Zelda--oh, there I go, I still can’t bring myself to say the word!” Mary giggled, and Hilda laughed, glad to see her friend calming down a bit.

“Did you have lunch yet?”

“No, but I brought something with me to work today.” Mary replied, readjusting the stack of books in her arms. “My main therapist, Guy who worked weekends and nights quit, and I’ve been trying to play catch up, taking on all of his clients, as well as mine.”

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry to hear that!”

“I kind of hit the ground running once I got back to work after being sick. To be honest, I still don’t feel one hundred percent my best, but I have no choice but to keep working.”

Hilda listened to Mary with a concerned look on her face.

“Make sure you take care of yourself, Mary. We don’t want you getting sick again.”

“I know, I know. I just need to get some more sleep, that’s all. I’ll be fine.” Mary smiled at Hilda, trying to reassure her.

“I’d love to stay and chat, but I’d better get going. I’ve already used half of my lunch break, and I really have got to eat something before more clients start showing up.”

“Stay well, Mary.” Hilda reached out to squeeze the other woman’s shoulder.

“I will. It was so great running into you! I hope we can catch up soon once things slow down a bit!”

“That would be lovely! Bye dear!” Hilda waved as Mary went around the corner. She heard the jingling of the bell on the front door of the shop, and smiled to herself.

_Things must be quite serious if Mary is buying those kinds of books_ …

Hilda’s heart fluttered with excitement for Zelda, knowing that her sister was quite nervous about the whole situation with Mary. She hummed as she walked down the aisle and to the door in the back of the store marked “Employees Only”. She knew Doctor Cee was taking his lunch break and those book titles were giving her some ideas. She smiled to herself as she pushed the door open.

 

* * *

 

By the time Monday came around, Zelda found herself itching to see Mary. She had gone the whole weekend trying to distract herself, trying not to think about the next time she would get to hug the woman, and look into her beautiful eyes. She had tried reading, watching TV, and napping, but all she could think about was Mary. They were having another slow week at the mortuary, and Zelda had cleaned practically the entire house out of boredom. Instead of pacing the living room smoking, she decided to go through all of the verb tenses for some of the languages she knew, just for fun. She started with Spanish, and started thinking of random verbs, and began to conjugate them in her head. She lit a cigarette and visualized all of the irregular verbs she knew, going down the list to conjugate them. She then thought of the same words but in Italian, then Portuguese, and French. This only entertained Zelda for so long, though. After puffing through a few cigarettes, she decided that she needed a change of scenery. She decided to go and see what Hilda was doing in her greenhouse. She walked through the kitchen, and to the greenhouse door, stepping inside. The air was thick and humid, and the smell of earth greeted her. She looked at all of the various plants that were growing, Hilda’s vegetables, herbs, ferns, peperomias, succulents, and bulbs. She walked down one aisle of the greenhouse and leaned in to smell some of the mint that Hilda had growing in her herb box.

“Need mint for something?” Hilda popped up behind Zelda, scaring her.

Zelda jumped and shouted, closing her eyes and shaking her head at her sister’s antics.

“Really Hilda? Sneaking up on me like we are children?” Zelda huffed and crossed her arms.

“It was quite funny Zelda! You should have seen your face!” Hilda gestured to Zelda, her yellow gardening gloves covered in dirt. She did an over dramatic re-enactment of how Zelda looked when she had scared her. Zelda simply rolled her eyes and looked away from her sister.

“It was just a joke Zelds, I’m sorry. What are you doing out here anyways? You hardly ever come out here.”

Zelda sighed and moved to lean against one of the workbenches.

“Well, I was just getting a bit stir crazy in the house, that’s all. I suppose I could go into town and do some shopping, or something….”

“Wait--what time is it?”

“It’s around eleven, why?”

“I wanted to bring Mary some lunch around noon, but I’ve just gotten myself into something and I can’t stop right now. Do you think you could take it to her for me? I’ll owe you one?”

Zelda opened her mouth, but didn’t say anything.

“Besides, I know how much you want to see Mary again.”

“Oh Hilda that’s enough!” Zelda said, suddenly embarrassed by how easily she blushed at the mere mention of Mary.

“I think it will be nice for her to see you. She has been having a rough time at work lately.”

“What?” Zelda quickly asked. “Is she okay?”

“Why don’t you go and find out for yourself? I have the lunch for her just in the fridge, in those glass containers on the third shelf, next to the eggs. I also washed and dried her dish that she let you borrow after your date.”

Zelda’s blushed as she looked back towards the herbs that rested in their small plant boxes, near the windowsill. She did want to see Mary again, but she didn’t want to seem too eager.

“I guess I could go and see her….she hasn’t responded to any of my texts in a while”

“Great! Oh, you are really going to make her day!”

Zelda turned to leave the greenhouse, and made a beeline back to the kitchen. She grabbed the food Hilda had mentioned from the fridge, and carefully placed it in a reusable shopping bag. She placed Mary’s empty glass containers in the bag as well. She gathered her purse and coat, and was out of the door. Hilda peeked around the corner with wide eyes as she heard Zelda slam the front door shut, seemingly in a hurry.

Zelda sped into town, worried that Mary wasn’t okay. Hilda hadn’t been specific, but she did say that Mary was having a hard time at work. She knew that Mary was a hard worker, and loved what she did, and she knew how hard it could be to perform well while under immense amounts of stress. Zelda hardly noticed how quickly she made it into town. She barely stopped for each stop sign, and all but floored her car at each traffic light once they turned green. She pulled up to the massage parlour, and parked her car. She grabbed the bag of food off of the passenger seat, and got out of the car, locking it behind her. She walked up the stairs to the front door and stepped inside, feeling a bit uneasy. She looked around the room, seemingly empty. She heard Mary’s voice call out from the back.

“I’ll be right with you in just a moment!”

Zelda moved towards the front desk, and placed the bag of food on it. She heard a groan come from the back, and then the sound of the floor creaking. When Mary came around the corner, Zelda noticed that she didn’t have her glasses on. She seemed to have been holding her forehead, and her eyes were red-rimmed.

“Mary?”

“Zelda? You’re here….” Mary seemed to be genuinely surprised to see her. Zelda walked over to Mary. She could sense that something was wrong.

“Yes, I, I brought something for you, from Hilda. She told me that you’ve been having a pretty rough week at work. What’s been going on?”

Mary’s eyes started to well up, and she couldn’t stop the tears that started to roll down her cheeks.

“Oh Mary” Zelda reached out and slipped her arms around the woman, not able to stand the sight of her in pain. Mary embraced Zelda in return, tucking her face into Zelda’s blazer.

“It’s been _terrible_. My other therapist, Guy, quit last Wednesday, and it’s been hell trying to keep up with everything. He usually took clients at night and over the weekends, and now I’ve had to take on both his and mine, without so much as a moment to breathe!” Mary leaned back a bit, still in Zelda’s embrace, to look at the redhead.

“I’m sorry I’m being so emotional over this. I shouldn’t be complaining.”

Zelda was taken aback for a moment, for Mary wasn’t one to shy away from sharing her feelings.

“Mary, you _never_ have to apologize to anyone for telling them how something has made you feel. Especially not with me.” Zelda cupped the side of Mary’s face with her hand, her thumb rubbing away a tear. Mary blushed, momentarily breaking eye contact with Zelda, and Zelda felt butterflies flutter in her stomach at the sight.

“Thank you.”

Zelda dropped her hand from Mary’s face and stepped back, looking around nervously before remembering why she had come in the first place.

“I brought you some lunch. Hilda made it, of course. There is some pasta salad, garlic bread, and vegetables with dip. I think she even threw in some of her gingersnaps.”

Zelda gestured to the bag that was sitting on the front desk, and Mary walked over to peek inside.

“Oh! You even washed my dishes!”

“Of course.”

“You and Hilda are really great. I’m so glad that I have you both in my lives.”

“The feeling is mutual.” The two women looked at each other and smiled again, before looking away, blushing.

“So, aside from the work situation, how have you been doing?” Zelda asked, wanting to keep the conversation going so she could be around Mary for just a little bit longer.

“Honestly? Not too well. I’ve been quite stressed out over this whole situation here at work. I’ve been having insomnia, and some worry. I try to sleep at night, but I can only rest for a few hours before I am tossing and turning. So, I’ve been doing some reading.”

“But you have to get your rest, Mary. Are you sure you should be up right now? Maybe you should be napping while you have your break. I can leave if you want to--” Zelda couldn’t hide her concern for the other woman.

“No Zelda, no! It’s okay. Why don’t we go sit on the couch? I will have some of this delicious lunch while we chat.”

Mary grabbed the bag off of the desk, and walked over to the waiting area. Zelda followed, now sure where to sit. Mary sat down on one of the couches and patted the seat next to her. Zelda sat down. She watched as Mary opened up the pasta salad, and reached in the bag for a fork.

“So, what kind of books have you been reading?” Mary’s face suddenly got very red, and she leaned forward to put the container of pasta salad on the coffee table in front of her.

“Well, I got a new cookbook, and um, a book on Impressionist classical music.”

“That sounds interesting. Have you started to read any of them, yet?” Mary reached for the pasta salad again, this time sticking her fork in.

“Well, not yet. I have some other ones that I am currently reading that I need to finish first.” Mary quickly stuffed some pasta in her mouth as she looked down at the small container in her lap.

“Hmn.” Zelda just observed Mary as she took a few more bites.

_Is she--am I making her_ _nervous? Or does she just not want me around right now....maybe she doesn’t, I should probably go…._

“So how are things with you, Zelda? Have you been doing okay? Has your neck been hurting?”

Zelda was suddenly reminded of her pain, having forgotten about it due to being in Mary’s presence. It had been a while since her last massage. But she had gotten so used to the pain that she had started to ignore it.

“It’s um, I’m fine.”

_Seriously Zelda?! Why can’t you be honest with Mary? You have before, in the past. And you didn’t even know Mary that well then!_

“Are you sure? You haven’t had a massage in a while, and I remember how tense you were last time.”

Zelda looked away from Mary. She felt guilty to even think about bringing up her own pain when Mary had actual problems going on in her life. She could handle a little pain. She had already experienced so much of it in her life. A little more wouldn’t make a difference.

Mary watched Zelda carefully, lifting another bite of pasta salad to her mouth. She could tell that something was wrong, and that the woman was trying to put up walls around herself. She decided to change the subject, not wanting to make Zelda uncomfortable.

“So, have you ever been to see the orchestra perform over in Riverdale?”

“No, I haven’t. Have you?”

“Oh yes! I used to have season tickets. They are fantastic! They are actually going to be playing some Debussy and Tchaikovsky about two weeks from this coming Friday.”

“Oh, wow. That sounds like it will be lovely.”

“It will be! They will perform _La Mer_ , _Children’s Corner Suite_ , and then selections from _Swan Lake_. I think they are playing more, but I can’t recall at the moment. I need to check out their website again. Would you, uh, would you be interested in going…by any chance...with me?” Mary looked up at Zelda with puppy dog eyes, while chewing on a piece of garlic bread. Zelda gulped, instantly weak for the woman sitting next to her.

“I’d love to Mary, thank you.”

“I will let you know all of the details when you come in for your massage on Friday, okay? I mean, of course we can talk before then, but I don’t want to seem to eager, and I don’t want to embarrass myself, and--oh god I’ve gone on rambling again…” Zelda watched Mary talk, waving the piece of garlic bread around. She truly was a vision.

“You are absolutely adorable” Zelda blurted out, without thinking. She could feel her face get hot, and her pulse sped up. Mary simple raised her eyebrows and smiled, licking her lips.

_Oh hell, what am I saying??_

“Why thank you, Zelda. You aren’t too bad yourself.” Mary added the last part and winked. Zelda knew then and there that she had to leave _immediately_ before she said or did something she regretted. She wanted to believe that Mary felt the same way about her, but the voice of anxiety in her head told her otherwise, that she was just imagining things.

“I uh, I actually have to go now.” Zelda quickly stood up from the couch, gathering her purse. She could feel panic slowly slinking its way into her body, and she didn’t want Mary to see her like that.

“Zelda? Are you okay?”

“Yes I just--I have to go, that’s all. I’m sorry.”

_Leave before you embarrass yourself! Before you ruin things with Mary. Before she sees you for who you really are, lily-livered and weak, not able to deal with your emotions._

Zelda all but ran for the front door, rushing to her car. She didn’t even notice the rain as it fell, her car her goal. She unlocked it and slid inside, trying to take a moment to calm her breathing. She didn’t want to come home out of breath, and have Hilda interrogate her about her blood pressure. She could feel tears prickling behind her eyes.

_No, not here. I have to leave_

Zelda started the car, driving away from Mary’s business. She knew she was going to cry, and she didn’t want it to be in front of Mary’s place. She drove for a bit until she was away from Greendale proper, sobs bubbling up under the surface, tears making their way down her cheeks. When she got to a more remote area, she pulled over her car, and put it in park. She leaned forward, hands grasping at the steering wheel, and released the sobs she had been trying so desperately to keep under control. She thought about everything that happened with Faustus, how she stayed with him for so long, even after he started to put his hands on her. She had believed his lies, and they were still affecting her today. And then there was Mary.

_Oh Mary_ . _I should stay away, put some distance between us...but I can’t stay away from her, I just can’t!_

Zelda’s sobs had turned into sniffles and she lifted her head up from the steering wheel. She wiped her face and leaned back against the headrest.

_Well, there is no use sitting around out here._

She put her car back in drive, and signalled, before pulling onto the road, and driving back home.

_Maybe I should call that therapist again…_

Zelda had gone to see a therapist after the disastrous ending of her relationship with Faustus. She normally wouldn’t have ever considered it, but both her doctor and Hilda insisted. The She didn’t like the idea of discussing her deepest, darkest fears to a total stranger. It was too much, too personal. How could she let someone she didn’t even know past her walls, especially after she had taken so long to build them up? Somehow, the therapist had gotten through, though, and she had helped Zelda deal with some of her trauma. As Zelda drove along, she gasped out loud when she realized that she hadn’t had a panic attack since before she saw the therapist.

_If I go back there, I’ll have to admit that I wasn’t strong enough._

She hoped that Hilda would be out when she got home. One look at her face and she would know that she had been crying. She really didn’t want anyone to know that she was struggling again.  

 

* * *

 

When Zelda got back to her house, she nervously made a beeline for her bedroom. The whole drive back to her house, she thought of the state she was in when she first left Faustus. She didn’t want to get to that point again. She knew that she needed to call her old therapist. Fear stirred in her belly, but it was temporarily assuaged when she thought of Mary, her kind voice, her gentle touch, and her caring glances. To Zelda, Mary was every good and lovely thing in life. Thinking about Mary made Zelda feel better, like she could be better. Zelda felt tears come to her eyes again, this time out of love and gratitude, as she pictured Mary’s smiling face.

_I have to call the therapist...even if I can’t do it for myself, I have to do it for Mary…_

Zelda paced back and forth across her room a bit before picking up her phone to call her therapist. She scrolled through her address book, hands sweating. When she found the number she clicked “call” and raised the phone to her ear with a shaky hand. Zelda’s stomach flipped as the phone rang. It took everything inside of her to not end the call when she heard someone pick up on the other line.

“Hello” the voice asked. It was Maeve, the same receptionist from the last time she had visited. Zelda’s throat got dry as she tried to speak.

“Hello?” The voice asked again. “How may I help you today?”

“...uh hi,” Zelda croaked. “I-I’d like to make an appointment, with Doctor Keane, please.”

“Are you a new or returning patient?”

“ _Returning_ ” Zelda said in a whisper.

“I’m sorry ma’am, what was that?”

“Returning,” Zelda said a bit louder.

“Okay and what was your name?”

“Zelda...Spellman.” Her stomach flipped again.

Zelda could hear keyboard keys clicking in the background.

“Ah yes, Miss Spellman. And do you prefer a morning, afternoon, or evening appointment?”

“Well, to be honest, I will take whatever is available.”

“Hmmmn. Okay, well we have an opening on Wednesday at three in the afternoon. Does that work for you?”

“Yes, yes, that will be fine.”

Zelda finished up the phone call, taking care of other technicalities, such as insurance and her address. When the call ended, she flopped back onto her bed, suddenly exhausted. She always felt tired after she had had a good cry. Especially since she kept things bottled up without really releasing them. She turned over, still fully clothed, and closed her eyes.

 

* * *

 

When Mary got home from work that day, it was a little after 9 o’clock. She had been on her feet for the past 6 hours, barely getting a moment to rest since her break. As soon as she had put down her bags from work, she immediately stripped down to her underwear, and climbed into her bed with a large glass of wine. She reached over for her phone and turned on the stereo system in her room, settling on some light jazz music. She had already been worrying about tomorrow’s schedule, and how she would be able to fit Guy’s clients in-between her own. It was going to be a tight squeeze, but it was possible. Mary sipped at her wine and placed the glass on her nightstand, reaching for the stack of books there. She grabbed _Girl On Girl: Your Guide To Pleasing Your Partner_. The cover pictured two women locked in a tender embrace, smiling at each other. She opened the book and turned to the table of contents, her eyes scanning the list of chapter titles.

_Introduction_

_Female Anatomy Explained_

_Communicating With Your Partner_

_Monogamy vs. Polyamory_

_The Juice On Female Ejaculation_

_Lick It Real Good: Pleasuring Your Partner Orally_

_Touching Yourself. Fingers, Toys, And More!_

Her eyes stopped on the chapters regarding oral sex. She felt herself flush as she turned to the chapter, reading about the different ways you could tease your partner orally. She flipped through, and giggled out loud at a diagram that showed a tongue with arrows showing the motions to make while licking a clitoris.

_Who knew there were so many ways to flick one’s tongue?_

Mary stifled her giggles and tried to read the book seriously, taking mental notes and dog-earing pages. She flipped back to the section about communication, and the importance of honesty from the start of any sexual relationship. She then flipped forward to the section about fingering and masturbation. Wide-eyed, she read on, and came across more diagrams. The women were naked, in various potential positions. Mary began to imagine herself and Zelda in the same positions as the women in the pictures, and she felt wetness flood her underwear. She started to wonder what it would be like to be inside of Zelda, to have the redhead writhing beneath her, moaning and reaching her pleasure. Mary quickly closed the book, now fully hot and bothered. She drank the rest of the wine out of her glass and went to go brush her teeth and wash her face. When she came back to her bed, she slipped under the covers, the images of the book still fresh in her mind. She reached over to grab her phone. She switched the music to her sleep playlist, and set her alarm for the next day. She then turned off the lamp and lay back on her back.

_Would Zelda even want to have sex me? I mean, I know she had a dream about me, and she seemed to be a bit interested, but what if it was just lust?_

Mary couldn’t help but but think about Zelda as she stared into the darkness. The diagrams from the book flashed through her mind again, and she squeezed her thighs together. She tossed and turned a bit in the darkness before turning on her back again. She wasn’t going to get any sleep if she didn’t take care of herself. With a sigh, Mary thought of Zelda again, and slipped her hand beneath the waistband of her underwear. At least she would be getting a good night’s sleep tonight.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to update this! I have been through the emotional wringer! I have worked on and posted two other Madam Spellman (well one is MS, the other Spellwell) things over the past week and a half, while also working on this story. I also had to deal with my Tumblr account being accidentally terminated earlier this week. That was really frustrating. Everything is fine now, but it was just a scary few days where I didn't know what was gonna happen, because I wasn't hearing back from support. I almost thought I would have to make another blog! Crazy times. I also have some other MS oneshot stuff that I want to work on. I will definitely try to prioritize this story first, though. There is gonna be some big stuff coming up soon, and you won't want to miss it! Thanks again, as always, for reading! Hope you all have a lovely weekend!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda meets with her therapist, and tries to work through some things.

Zelda’s stomach churned as she sat in the waiting room of her therapist’s office. She hadn’t stepped foot in this office in at least 2 years. She was in a much worse state the last time she was here, though. Hilda had been with her, because she couldn’t even make it through the front door without turning to leave. She had started muttering how ridiculous it was that she was a grown woman who couldn’t even handle her emotions. Hilda had cornered her in the hallway, holding her steady as she swayed from the weight of holding everything in. Her dear sister was so kind and careful, letting her know that she had to go and see the therapist, because the doctor ordered her to, that she had experienced trauma, and it was okay that she needed help.

“You don’t have to be strong all the time Zelda. You are allowed to hurt and feel angry too.” Hilda’s words echoed in Zelda’s mind as she waited for her name to be called. She twiddled her thumbs together, anxiously glancing at the clock every so often. She could kill for another cigarette.

_ Did it always take this long to get called back? I  can’t remember. Oh god, what What if Dr. Keane asks me about my life since she last saw me? What am I supposed to say? I’m embarrassed because I haven’t made much improvement, I’ve just been keeping everything in again. That is, until Mary came into the picture… _

“Zelda Spellman? Zelda Spellman?”

Zelda shook her head, clearing her thoughts as she looked towards the nurse and got up, not making eye contact as she walked towards the open door. The nurse showed her to Dr. Keane’s office, handed her a clipboard with a survey, and Zelda went in and sat on the couch. Her throat suddenly felt dry as she crossed and uncrossed her legs, looking around. The office was the same as it was the last time, only there was a vase of flowers where before nothing sat. She glanced down at the survey, and filled it out as quickly as possible, her hands shaking as she answered it honestly. When she finished it, she leaned back against the couch, letting her head fall back as she tried to relax.

_ It’s okay, you’ve done this before. You’re just going to answer a couple of questions, and everything will be okay _ .

Zelda stared at the ceiling, her eyes starting to fill with tears. 

_ C’mon Zelda. Pull it together! _

There was a knock on the office door, and it startled Zelda. She immediately sat upright, and smoothed her skirt, trying to appear as presentable as possible. Dr. Keane walked through the door, a fashionable, middle-aged woman. She had on a long dark blue maxi dress with ankle boots, and wore a brown blazer. Around her neck she had a large necklace with some sort of symbol on it. Her curly salt and pepper-colored locks were piled in a bun on top of her head, and she had a pair of red glasses resting in her hair. Zelda sat up straighter, and offered a small smile.

“Zelda! How are you doing? It’s been too long!” She reached out to shake Zelda’s hand.

“Hi, Abby. How are you? How are Dan and the kids doing?”

“We’ve all been doing fine. Life keeps us busy!

“Oh don’t I know it!” Zelda replied. They briefly chatted, catching up on what they had been up to since they last saw each other. 

_ Maybe this won’t be so hard after all… _

“It really is so great to see you again, Zelda!”

Zelda blushed, suddenly very self-conscious. She looked down, fingers playing with the leopard print scarf she had pinned to the side of her dress. 

“So what brings you in today?” Abby asked, studying Zelda’s body language.

“I uh--” Zelda chuckled nervously. “I seem to be having, uh some anxiety issues...again.” Zelda’s voice trailed off quietly, and she couldn’t raise her head to look up at Abby. 

“Okay, okay. What has been going on?” 

“Well...it’s kind of like last time, where I would be fine one moment, and then the next I am suddenly worrying about something.”

Abby nodded, simply watching Zelda. She gave Zelda room to talk, letting them sit in silence, giving her as much time as she needed. Zelda took a deep breath before continuing, choosing to look at the wall behind Abby as she opened her mouth to speak again.

“I uh, the other day, I kind of had a moment and...I thought--no, I felt like how I used to feel, when things were really...bad.”

“Describe it to me, in as much detail as possible.”

Zelda’s mouth suddenly got dry again, and she felt for a moment that she could just flee the room, get in her car and go home, never looking back. She swallowed as Mary’s face drifted into her mind’s eye.

“I….I was taking something to a friend, and I--oh god” Zelda paused, embarrassed at her past self. “So I was taking something to someone, and I started to feel anxious, like I was having a panic attack, so I ran away.” Zelda looked back down at her lap, closing her eyes as she felt herself cringe thinking of what had happened a few days prior. 

“Did something trigger you, to bring it on?”

Zelda opened her eyes and looked around, everywhere but at Dr. Keane.

“Weeellll…” 

Zelda’s mind went back to Mary’s massage parlour, to the moment she got scared. 

_ “You are absolutely adorable” Zelda blurted out, without thinking.  _

_ “Why thank you, Zelda. You aren’t too bad yourself.” Mary added the last part and winked.  _

_ “I uh, I actually have to go now.”  _

_ “Zelda? Are you okay?” _

_ “Yes I just--I have to go, that’s all. I’m sorry.”  _

Zelda realized she hadn’t answered Dr. Keane, and that her breathing had sped up a bit. She looked over at the therapist’s kind face, and panicked just a bit. She could hear her blood rushing through her head, heartbeat pounding like a drum. 

“I—“ Zelda took a deep breath, trying to work through the rising panic. 

“Take your time Zelda. It’s okay.” 

Zelda nodded appreciatively as she took a few more deep breaths.

“I...it would appear that I...well, let’s just say that I embarrassed myself, in front of this person…..who happens to be someone I greatly admire—a...a friend.” 

Dr. Keane scribbled at her notepad for a bit, and Zelda wondered what she was writing. 

“And what was was it that you did that you found so embarrassing?”

Zelda gulped. She didn’t expect to talk about her feelings for Mary just yet. It was only her first session.

“I...I told them that I thought they were adorable?” Zelda could feel the flush rise to her cheeks, shame burning throughout her body. She couldn’t look at Dr. Keane, out of fear she would laugh at her, make fun of her. After all, Zelda still felt like that same broken, woman who couldn’t handle her emotions. It made her feel ridiculous. 

Dr. Keane didn’t reply straight away, and Zelda slowly looked up at her to see a look that was a mixture of interest and concern on her face. She quickly averted her eyes, choosing to study the texture of the wall.

“Why is that embarrassing? I think I would find it endearing if someone I was friends with told me I was adorable.” 

Zelda looked back at Abby, and was certain her feelings for Mary were written all over her face.her heart beat felt like it was in her stomach as she spoke again.

“Yes, but this person might be more than a friend?” The tone of Zelda’s voice rose at the end of the sentence, her heart still beating a steady staccato. 

“Tell me a bit about this ‘more than a friend’ person.” Dr. Keane prodded, before adding “if you feel comfortable doing so, of course.” 

Zelda squeezed her eyes shut and took another deep breath before turning to look at Dr. Keane again. This was her chance to talk about how she really felt, and she wasn’t going to mess it up.

“Well, they—Mary, she…” Zelda’s eyes shot up looking for any traces of judgment on Dr. Keane’s face. She found none. 

“Mary is….” Zelda smiled involuntarily as she thought about Mary, not realizing that it made Dr. Keane smile too. 

“Mary is  _ wonderful _ . She is my massage therapist, but she also is a lovely person. She is smart, funny, kind, and makes  _ really  _ good food. She has these gorgeous clear blue eyes that just suck you in, like she is seeing through to your soul. You could just get lost in them. She also is very caring and a hard worker.” Zelda realized that this was the most she had said about Mary to anyone, ever. She couldn’t help but gush about Mary. Her feelings were simmering near the surface these days, and it didn’t take much for her to release them.

“She sounds lovely.”

“She  _ is _ . Oh god she really is.” Zelda’s eyes started to go all glassy as tears made their way across her vision. Dr. Keane swam before her.

“I’m sorry,” Zelda apologized, trying to look up at the ceiling as she wiped away her tears.

“You don’t have to apologize to me, Zelda. I know it’s been a while since you were last here, but I want you to remember that this office is always a safe space for you. There is no judgment here, whatsoever. I am here to listen, and to help and offer advice, if you want it.”

Zelda smiled, now looking back at Dr. Keane. 

“Thank you.” 

“You are very welcome, Zelda.” Dr. Keane leaned over to pass Zelda a box of tissue. Zelda took them and pulled out a few, sitting them in her lap.

“So how long have you known Mary?”

“Well, not really too long. Only since the end of last year, after the holidays. But it feels like it has been forever.”

“And you said she is your massage therapist?”

“Yeah...I know it is probably breaking some sort of code of ethics, but we both really enjoy each others’ company.”

“You are both two consenting adults who enjoy each others’ company, and you haven’t signed any doctor-patient confidentiality statements, so I think you are fine there.” 

Zelda readjusted herself in her chair, crossing her legs in the opposite direction. 

“Yes, we are...I also, may be having some uh,  _ adult _ thoughts about Mary, too.”

Zelda certainly couldn’t look up now. She was far too embarrassed. She knew she had to get everything off of her chest, but it was quite a bit more than she was usually comfortable with sharing. Luckily, Dr. Keane had seen her at her worst, and Zelda did feel safe with her, despite her chagrin.

“And what is so bad about that? You  _ are _ both adults, and there is nothing wrong with having a healthy sex life. I encourage it, in fact.” 

Zelda flushed bright red once more, briefly imagining herself having sex with Mary. 

“I—I just am afraid that Mary won’t want to be with me, if things were ever to get to that point.”

“And why is that?”

“I just...I don’t think she will see me the same way if she knew about my past….with Faustus. I also worry that I will end up messing things up, and she will want to leave me.”

Dr. Keane scribbled again on her notepad before looking directly into Zelda’s eyes. 

“Zelda, what happened with Faustus was not your fault. He manipulated you, used you, and lied to you. He  _ hurt _ you, verbally and physically. I would never hold any of that against you, or think less of you for not leaving Faustus sooner. And from the sounds of it, neither would Mary.”

Zelda had started to cry at some point, her lower lip trembling. 

“You know,” Zelda’s voice was watery as she picked up a tissue and dabbed at her eyes “we went on a date last week, Mary and I. And it was really good.” Zelda hiccuped, a small sob coming out. “She made me feel so loved and cherished and  _ special _ . I haven’t felt like that in a long time” Zelda started to cry again, this time a bit harder. Dr. Keane let her have a moment to cry, silently reaching out to rub Zelda’s shoulder. 

“That is beautiful, Zelda. You deserve to be made to feel loved and cherished. The fact that Mary makes you feel this way is very important.”

Zelda smiled, tears still streaming down her face.

“It feels good for a change. I thought I would never find someone again--and I’m saying all of this and I haven’t even told her how I really feel, yet. Oh god.” Zelda dropped her head into her hands, groaning.

“There is no need to rush in telling her how you feel, Zelda. I’m sure she knows, without you even saying it; however, when the time is right, you’ll know. It will happen naturally. Don’t worry about it too much, okay?”

“Okay.” Zelda sniffled, nodding gently. She brought one of the clean tissues from her lap up to her face and blew her nose.

“We only have a few minutes left, but I want you to go over some of the cognitive distortions we talked about the last time you were here. Do you remember? I can print you out another worksheet if you want.”

“Yes, I remember. But having another worksheet would be nice. Thank you.”

“I also am going to print you a list of exercises that you can do when you are feeling anxious, to prevent panic attacks. I’ll just grab those for you and meet you up front, okay?”

Zelda nodded, watching as Dr. Keane walked out of the room. She sighed and held her hands up to the sides of her face. 

_ A nap would be nice right about now _ . 

Zelda stood up and stretched, bunching up her used tissues in one hand. She threw them away as she walked out of the office. She was sure she looked a mess after all of that crying. She slipped her sunglasses on as she went back to the front desk. When she got up there, Dr. Keane was waiting with a small water bottle and some worksheets.

“Here you go. Make sure you have some water. And you can feel free to call if you have any questions about anything that is on the worksheets, okay?”

“Thank you, Abby.”

“No problem. Hope to see you again soon.” Dr. Keane smiled at Zelda before retreating back into the hallway, leaving Zelda standing at the front desk. Zelda made an appointment for the same time next week, and left the office, feeling just a bit lighter to have gotten some things off of her chest. She sat in her car and unscrewed the water bottle, eagerly drinking the entire thing. She felt a bit better, and her thoughts turned towards Mary. She would have her massage the day after tomorrow, which meant another chance to see her. She reached into her purse and took out her phone, unlocking it and going to her text messaging app. She scrolled down to the message thread she had with Mary, and smiled. She typed a quick message, hoping it would cheer the other woman up. 

_ Hey there. I just wanted to say hello, and that I can’t wait to see you again in a few days! I miss you-- _

Zelda backspaced and changed “ _ I miss you _ ” to “ _ I miss our sessions! _ ” She pushed send, and then started to type again, adding an explanation for her behavior earlier that week.

_ I also wanted to say that I am sorry for what happened the other day. It is hard for me to talk about in person, but I am going through some...stuff. I am working on it, though. Just didn’t want you to think I was mad at you or anything. Okay. See you soon! _

Zelda pushed send again, and tucked her phone away before starting her car and pulling out of the parking lot. On the drive home, she replayed her therapy session, and thought about how vulnerable and honest she was. It truly took a lot out of her, and she wanted to snuggle up with a blanket and a good book. When she got home, she looked down at her phone before leaving the car, and saw that she had some new messages from Mary. She eagerly unlocked her phone, and read them. 

_ Zelda!!! I have missed our sessions too. I can’t wait to see you. Just one more day! I know I just saw you a few days ago, but it seems like it’s been ages. _

Zelda looked at the second message, which read:

_ Don’t worry about Monday. I kind of could tell that you had something going on. It is completely okay. I want you to feel comfortable around me. Please let me know if you ever need anything, if there is any way I can help. Don’t be a stranger <3 _

Zelda smiled, her heart warming up. She was just about to text Mary back when her phone made a swooping noise, and she was looking at a picture that Mary had sent her. Zelda’s heart sped up. Mary had her glasses off, blue eyes clear and bright. She had a filter on her face, that made her look like a cat, ears and nose, whiskers and all. She even had one hand lifted up like a paw. It was  _ ridiculously _ adorable. Zelda couldn’t help but send a text back.

_ Cutest cat ever!! Meow! _

She smiled as she saw Mary was typing back. Three emojis of a cat making a kissy face came through, and Zelda grinned, covering her mouth as she looked to see if anyone else was outside. There was a spring in her step as she went inside of her house.   
  


* * *

 

Zelda felt a bit exposed after her session, but she also felt like a slight weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She moved quietly around the house, doing paperwork and cleaning the chapel in anticipation of another service. Her family was arriving home, one by one, and they could tell she was in one of her moods. They politely said hello, each as they came in the house, and continued on with whatever they had planned. Sabrina had run upstairs with her friends, Roz and Theo. Ambrose was down in the mortuary, and Hilda had gone to the kitchen, starting dinner. Zelda went back into the chapel once all of her family had left. She sat down on one of the pews that was out of line of sight of the door. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the worksheets from Dr. Keane, and started to read them. The first one was on cognitive distortions, and how to overcome them. Zelda wanted to scoff, thinking it absurd that any of the negative personality traits listed could apply to her; however, she knew that she could identify with at least several of the things listed. Especially since Dr. Keane had worked so hard with her last time on overcoming those negative thinking patterns. She looked at the list, some of them quite familiar to her. 

**_Take a look at this list of cognitive distortions. These are irrational thoughts that influence your behavior. It is important to recognize when our thoughts are in line with these distortions, so that we can correct them, and better our mental health._ **

Zelda then looked at one of the exercises that was listed on the page..

**_Looking at this list, think about 5 cognitive distortions that you have. Be prepared to talk about this list when you visit your therapist again._ **

_ Okay, so I know for sure that I have a problem with Filtering, because I do tend to focus on the negative and ignore the positives. Hmm...the last time I worked with Dr. Keane, we also talked about how I had problems with Personalization, because I felt like everything that happened with Faustus was my fault. _

Zelda gulped, her eyes suddenly getting a bit misty. She remembered her old sessions with Dr. Keane, how she had broken down sobbing when Dr. Keane told her about Personalization. She had been blaming herself for everything that happened with Faustus. Zelda had kept everything inside, not really letting herself feel until that fourth or fifth session where Dr. Keane had gently told her that she wasn’t weak for not speaking up about Faustus hitting her, that he alone was responsible for what he did. She had told Zelda that there was nothing that she did wrong, even if she felt like she did. Zelda still partially blamed herself for what had happened, even if she worked through most of her trauma surrounding the situation. She still got very angry whenever she thought about it.

_ I just wish I wasn’t so weak back then...if I were who I am today, maybe I could have stopped things sooner. If only I weren’t so power-hungry and blinded by the status our relationship would give me… _

Zelda sat the paper aside, not ready to dig deeper into her pain, and looked at the other worksheet she had. This one featured techniques for overcoming cognitive distortions and anxiety in general. There were several options, from journaling, to different types of exposure, to relaxed breathing and progressive muscle relaxation. Zelda read over the technique about muscle relaxation several times.

_ Hm. That might be a good one. You could do it anywhere without anyone knowing. _

She laid back on the pew and tried it, relaxing one muscle group at a time, trying to loosen all of the tension in her body. The wooden pew was uncomfortable, but as Zelda slowly relaxed her entire body, she suddenly felt a bit lighter, a bit more relaxed. She left her eyes closed, and just enjoyed the moment of peace. 

Zelda must have drifted off for a few minutes, because she heard Hilda calling her voice from the entryway of the house. She sat up, groaning a bit after laying on the hard pew. She tucked her worksheets away, and went to the kitchen. Ambrose and Sabrina weren’t downstairs yet, but Hilda was still setting our their place settings. Zelda leaned against the doorway, silently watching her sister.

“Zelda I was calling you for quite a while and you didn’t answer. Is everything okay?” Hilda looked towards Zelda as she took a dish over to the kitchen table.

“Well, I think so.” Zelda sighed. “It will be.”

Hilda immediately stopped and looked up at Zelda, not used to hearing her be quite so honest on the first answer.

“What happened today?” Hilda walked over to where Zelda was, oven mitts still on her hands. 

“I uh, I went to see Dr. Keane again, today.” Zelda looked down, nervously twiddling with her hands.

“Oh Zelda. I am  _ so _ proud of you. I really, I am.” Hilda took off an oven mitt and squeezed Zelda’s arm. Zelda brought a hand up to cover Hilda’s and squeezed it in return.

“Thank you. I really don’t want to mess this thing up with Mary, and I haven’t been feeling well lately...mentally.” Zelda’s voice wobbled a bit as she ducked her head back down, choking back tears. 

“You are amazing Zelda, truly. You are doing the best thing you can do for yourself. I am so honored to call you my sister.”

Zelda looked up, her eyebrows raised. She hesitated for a moment before leaning forward to wrap Hilda in a hug, holding her tightly. Hilda’s arms came up around her, and she rubbed her back. She could feel Zelda shaking slightly, as she buried her face into her shoulder. When they pulled away, Hilda was wiping away tears with the back of her hand, her mascara running slightly. 

“Thank you Hildie. And thank you for always believing in me.”

“Any time Zelds, any time.”

Zelda smiled, before walking to the family room, picking up one of her French newspapers before taking a seat at the kitchen table, waiting for dinner to start.

 

* * *

 

Thursday was a whirlwind of a day for Zelda, Hilda, and Ambrose. They had several bodies come in that needed to be prepared for burial, as well as back-to-back funeral services to prepare for over the upcoming weekend. Zelda was running back and forth all over the house. The phone kept ringing with family members making last-minute changes, she had to help down in the morgue for a bit, she had to help bring in a new shipment of caskets, and plan when she would have time to clean the house in time for the services. By the time 9:00 PM rolled around, Zelda was completely exhausted. She flopped onto her chair near the fireplace, too tired to even smoke. Her neck was hurting again, almost like how it felt when she had started going to get massages. She was so relieved that she would not only get to see Mary in less than 24 hours, but also that she would be getting some of the tension worked out of her neck. 

Zelda decided to call it a night early, and went upstairs to go do some reading before bed. She usually didn’t go to bed until at least 10:00 PM, but she hadn’t been sleeping well the past few days. The stairs creaked as Zelda walked up them, wishing she were already in bed. She took next to no time getting changed for bed, yawning as she slipped into her nightgown. She washed her face, and brushed her teeth, half-awake the whole time. Once she climbed into bed, her body sank into the mattress, and she felt like she was being hugged. She reached over to the small stack of books that was on her nightstand, and selected  _ The Portrait Of Dorian Gray.  _ She flipped to where her bookmark was and started to read. She only made it through a few pages before she found herself nodding, the words blurring together. After reading the same paragraph several times, she admitted defeat, putting the bookmark back in the book and setting it back on the nightstand. She yawned again as she turned off her lamp and slid down under her covers. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep.

Zelda fell into a dreamless sleep, the fatigue drawing her under. She started to toss and turn, though, and began to dream. 

_ She was on another picnic with Mary, in the same glen they had been to before. This time it was a bit warmer outside, and they wore lighter clothing. The sky was a perfect robin’s egg blue, and the sun was out. Birds could be heard chirping happily, and butterflies flew by in zig-zag patterns through the floral spring air. Zelda was in a black capris, and had a white sleeveless blouse tucked into them. Around her neck she wore her leopard print scarf, tied neatly. Mary had on a pale yellow sundress, her freckles on display. Half of her hair was up in a ponytail, and the rest fell in long dark curls around her shoulders.  _

_ They were laughing and feeding each other pieces of chocolate, kissing each other in-between bites. At one point Mary moved to lie in Zelda’s lap, looking up at her with those gorgeous eyes. Zelda leaned down to caress the side of Mary’s face, smiling as Mary closed her eyes and hummed pleasantly.  _

_ “I love you, Zelda.” Mary murmured, letting her eyes close. Zelda ran her fingers through Mary’s hair, unable to hold back the smile on her face. _

_ “I love you too, Mary.” Zelda leaned forward to place a kiss on Mary’s forehead, her eyes closed. When her lips were mere millimeters away, Mary suddenly disappeared into thin air. Zelda’s eyes flew open, Mary’s weight suddenly gone from her lap. _

_ “Mary?? MARY??!!” Zelda began to panic, looking around frantically. There was no way a person could just disappear into thin air. She was alone in their glen, no more birds sang, all of the butterflies had disappeared. Zelda looked around, calling Mary’s name a few more times. _

_ “Maaary! Maaary!!!” She started to run back towards the trees, looking around for any sign of the woman. She started back on the path they took last time, to get to the glen. It suddenly seemed to stretch out much further than the length it was last time. Zelda now broke out into a full on run, panic fully settled in. She looked behind her and saw that the glen was gone, and she was just running through a darkened forest, alone. Still looking behind her as she ran, her foot hit a root from a tree, and she suddenly found herself face down, the wind knocked out of her. Zelda scrambled back to her feet and continued to run, noticing now when she looked up that she seemed to be in some sort of funhouse, a hall of mirrors of sorts. She didn’t know which way to run, tried going towards a direction that looked like it was an exit, but ran into a mirror. She frantically tried another direction, but was met with another dead end.  _

_ “Please!!  **Please** !!! Mary where are you? I can’t do this, I can’t. I need you, I…” Zelda now wept, sinking to the ground. She wrapped her arms around her legs, and buried her face in her knees. She tried to take deep breaths, tried to calm her breathing like the techniques on the worksheet from Dr. Keane, but nothing worked. She just couldn’t get enough air. Zelda felt dizzy, suddenly sleepy, and weakly moved to a lying position on the ground. Tears were still spilling out of her eyes as she thought of Mary, everything going black. _

Zelda shot upright in her bed, completely terrified. She was panting, and tears had been streaming down her face. The dream had be  _ so _ vivid, so real. She felt her bed carefully, touched her chest, reassuring herself that she was safe, alive and well. She reached out for her phone on the nightstand next to her, and pushed a button on the side.  _ 4:45 AM _ , it read. With a groan, Zelda reached over to turn the lamp on, wincing and blinking in the light. She unlocked her phone, and opened up her messaging app. Of course, her thread with Mary was already open, and she looked again a the photo Mary had sent two days ago. Zelda smiled, tracing over Mary’s face with her finger. An idea came to her, suddenly, and she saved the picture of Mary before going to the address book on her phone. She went to Mary’s name, and set the cat Mary photo as her contact image. Zelda smiled sleepily, wishing she could call Mary. She knew that it was entirely too early to call anyone, but after her dream, she wished she could at least hear Mary’s voice. She double clicked the home button on her phone before selecting the messages app again. 

_ Maybe I can send her a voice message? I hope she wouldn’t find that too strange. _

Zelda pushed and held down the microphone icon next to the text box, and started to talk.

“Hey, Mary, it’s me...well, of course you know it’s me…” 

_ No. _

Zelda deleted the message before trying again.

“Hi, Mary, I uh, I uh….nope…”

Zelda deleted the message again before trying again a third time.

“Hi Mary, uh, I just wanted to say that I hope you have a good day today, and I’ll see you later.”

Zelda quickly pushed send before she could change her mind, nervousness fluttering in her belly. She glanced at the time again. It was only 4:55.

_ Well, I can make myself useful, I suppose _ .

Zelda slid out of the bed, and went to get ready for her day. 

When she had gotten all showered and dressed, she went back into her room to get the worksheets from Dr. Keane before going downstairs to start making some coffee. She got herself a cigarette and took a long drag, sighing as she exhaled. She put the kettle on the stove and leaned on the counter, looking down at the worksheets. She still had to finish the exercises as described, so that she could jump right back into things when she saw Dr. Keane next week. Zelda read over some of the other cognitive distortions, bristling a bit as she recalled times she had fallen prey to that type of thinking

**_Polarized Thinking occurs when we start to see things in black and white_ ** **_only_ ** **_, with no grey area in-between. Sometimes when we give into this type of thinking, we can believe untrue statements about ourselves, or others, even if they are very incorrect. For example: Say you are having a bad day, and everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. If you were to say “I never can do anything right”, that would be an example of polarized thinking. People who think like this use extremes to describe themselves or situations, by using the words “always”, “never”, “everything”, etc._ **

Zelda recalled discussing this with Dr. Keane briefly. She couldn’t quite remember the specifics, but she did recall Dr. Keane calling it the “woe is me” cognitive distortion. She didn’t mean it in a harsh or cruel way--just that when thinking like this happens, people tend to overlook the grey areas in life, only focusing on the black or white. Zelda puffed on her cigarette again, savoring the taste. Just as she was about to read the next thing on the page, the tea kettle started whistling. Zelda stubbed out her cigarette and went to turn of the stove and prepare her coffee. It was still early, but at least she could get an early start on things. Zelda ended up reading a French newspaper, sipping her coffee slowly, her stomach still a bit shaky after the dream she had. When her family started to come downstairs to get ready for the day, she threw herself into her work straightaway, barely leaving room for a moment to say ‘good morning.’ She had a lot of things to get done before her massage with Mary. The sooner she could get through them, the better.

Hilda noticed that Zelda seemed to be very interested in finishing her work as quickly as possible, and figured it had something to do with her seeing Mary later that day. She smiled to herself and made sure to add a few tasks to her mental to-do list, so that Zelda wouldn’t have as much to worry about. 

They worked around each other, silently, preparing for the service they were having the next day. They answered calls from people asking for directions, florists asking when they could arrive, the family asking about the private viewing and the caterer asking when they could deliver. Zelda was all too relieved to look at the clock and see that it was nearly time to leave for her massage. She wrapped up with the folding of the funeral programs--set them aside--and went upstairs to get her purse. When she grabbed her phone, she saw that she had a new message from Mary. She unlocked her phone quickly, and saw that Mary had sent a voice message in return. She pushed play, butterflies dancing in her stomach.

_ “Hey Zelda! Wow, what a wonderful thing to wake up to! I hope you have a great day too. Can’t wait to see you later!” _

Zelda smiled and replayed the message again, loving the sound of Mary’s voice. She put her phone in her purse and smiled to herself as she walked down the stairs and out the front door, and all the way to her car. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to all of you who have been following this story, and comment on it and what not. You all are so sweet, and I read every single comment. I will try to reply back to as many as possible. I haven't been responding lately, because I have started two new series in addition to keeping this story up, so between the comments on those four fics and this one, I've been a little swamped. 
> 
> Thank you as usual to my friend Mandy, as well as killyourstarlings for the encouragement in-between chapters. 
> 
> I'm also on Twitter now, so you can follow me there if you like @jeffsgldnbloom


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda finally goes to get another massage and Hilda gets to catch up with her friend.

 

When Zelda pulled up to the parlour, she felt quite excited. It was as if she were a small child, waiting to go on a big, scary roller coaster. She knew that everything would be fine, and that her and Mary had already built up a rapport and friendship, but there was still this small part of her that got excited at seeing Mary. She tried to appear calmer than she felt as she walked up the familiar steps, a smile sneaking its way across her face as she stepped through the door. Zelda blushed when she stepped inside, and saw that Mary was at the desk, focusing on something.

“I’ll be right with you!” Mary said cheerily, without looking up from what she was doing. Zelda simply walked up to the front desk, not saying a word. She let her eyes drift across Mary, her heart beating up into her throat. Mary wore the same thing she always wore while at work, a black polo shirt and matching leggings; however, Zelda felt that she could be wearing literally anything and still look amazing. She looked at the shape of Mary’s brow bone as she looked down, the hooded eyes behind the glasses, moving back and forth as she read the tablet on the desk in front of her. Zelda licked her lips as she looked at Mary’s mouth, her prominent Cupid’s bow, the way her mouth moved slightly as she muttered under her breath. If Mary were to look up at her right now, there would be no denying the love she was certain could be read on her face. Zelda took a deep breath, and fixed a smile on her face, waiting for Mary.

“Okay!” Mary looked up with a smile and then her entire face lit up. “Zelda! You’re here a bit early!” Mary shot up from the desk, and moved around it to come and embrace Zelda. Zelda’s arms automatically slipped around Mary’s lithe body, her hair brushing against the side of her face. Zelda couldn’t help herself, and turned her head slightly to breathe in the scent of Mary’s hair. She felt Mary’s hands rubbing up and down her back as her arms tightened around Zelda ever so slightly. Zelda swore she could feel herself melting into Mary’s touch.

“I missed you.” Mary said as she breathed Zelda in.

“I missed you too.” Zelda replied, finally pulling back to look at Mary. She smiled as their eyes met, and Mary licked her lips. Zelda blushed, and started worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

“You can go on back. It’s the room with the music playing. You know the drill.” Mary said, her hands slowly sliding off of Zelda’s arms. Zelda already felt much lighter, and she hadn’t even had her massage yet. She happily walked back to the room, and closed the door behind her. She slipped her coat off, and tossed it onto the chair in the corner, her purse following. Zelda wasted no time taking off her clothes, and quickly slipped under the sheet that was draped across the table. It didn’t take long for Mary to come and knock at the door, asking if it was okay to come in. Zelda told her she could, and she heard the door opening, and smelled the essential oils and salves that Mary brought in with her. Mary sat down on the stool and started to work on Zelda’s shoulders first, just like always. Zelda didn’t even try to hold back her moan of delight. She had been waiting for this massage for so long, and had been in a lot of pain. 

“Oh! You have a lot of tension that has built back up.”

“Yeah. I’ve kind of been having a hard time since we last saw each other.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Mary asked as she started to apply a bit more pressure to Zelda’s muscles. 

“Well…”

“Only if you want to, Zelda. We can talk about absolutely anything, or nothing at all. It’s up to you.” 

“I uh--ouch!” Zelda hissed as Mary hit a particularly tender spot.

“Sorry. It is really tense right here. I need to get these knots out, but it is going to hurt. I’m sorry Zelda.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Zelda replied through gritted teeth. “It’s okay.”

“Take some deep breaths. It is going to hurt more if you are tense.”

Zelda tried to take some deep breaths to breathe through the pain, thinking about the breathing exercise on her worksheet from Dr. Keane. Mary worked through one of the difficult areas and moved over to her next shoulder. Zelda hadn’t realized that she had tears in her eyes.

“You still doing okay?” Mary asked, noticing Zelda’s tears.

“Yes, yes. I’m sorry, it just hurts. Maybe we should talk about something after all, so I can distract myself from the pain.”

“Whatever you want to do is fine with me. Just let me know if I am using too much pressure and I can ease up a bit. I don’t want to hurt you.”

_ You could never hurt me...I’d be more worried about me hurting you… _

“I—I started going to therapy again.” Zelda felt her cheeks burning. She knew she shouldn’t be ashamed or embarrassed of talking about going to therapy. But a small part of her didn’t want Mary to know how broken she was, and she feared that eventually when all of her insecurities were laid bare, out in the open, Mary would turn away.

“That’s wonderful, Zelda! Therapy is  _ so _ important. We take care of our physical health, but often neglect to take care of our mental health, which is equally as important.”

Zelda was silent for a bit as Mary continued to work out the knots in her shoulders. She paused and walked around to the side of the table, reaching for the sheet. 

“Ready to flip over?” 

“Mhmmn.” 

Zelda sat up and looked at Mary before she turned over. Mary was looking away respectfully as she held up the sheet in front of Zelda. Even in the dim light of the room, she could see Mary’s sharp profile. She could stare at her forever, eyes raking over the freckled, olive skin. Mary seemed to sense Zelda’s eyes on her, and she turned and caught Zelda’s eye. Zelda felt her cheeks get hot, and she quickly moved to turn over onto her stomach. When Mary’s hands touched her again, it was different. She was softer, more...sensual. Zelda smelled the salve  as Mary worked it into her shoulders with loving caresses. Zelda felt like she was going to burst into flames, and wondered if Mary could sense her desire.

“You know, I used to go to a therapist regularly.” Mary spoke into the stillness. “I had nowhere else to turn after I ended things with Adam. It really helped to find someone to talk to, who could help me learn how to come to accept and eventually love myself.”

Zelda’s heart broke as she imagined a time where Mary didn’t love herself. There was  _ so _ much to love. She thought about everything Mary had told her back when they had their picnic, thought about all of the things she had to deal with on her own, with no support system. Her strength and bravery were inspiring. It took Zelda a while to work up the courage to speak again. 

“I wish I would’ve known you back then, Mary. I would have been there for you.” Zelda mumbled into the headrest, feeling a bit embarrassed the moment the words left her mouth. Zelda felt Mary’s hand come to rest on the base of her neck, a thumb slowly caressing her skin.

“That is so sweet of you, Zelda. I wish I had known you then, too. I could’ve used a friend….” Mary trailed off, her hands still not moving, save for the one that was on the back of Zelda’s neck. “At least we know each other now though, right?” Mary picked back up massaging Zelda.

“Oh yes.” Zelda smiled to herself, face pressed into the headrest. “I think you may be my only friend in this town, Mary. I really appreciate our friendship. Your friendship means a lot.” 

“Zelda…thank you...” Mary’s voice trembled, and her hands stilled again. Zelda heard a sniffle come from somewhere behind her, and lifted her head up to turn and look at Mary. She saw the brunette wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Zelda’s heart clenched. She sat up, holding the sheet to her chest.

“C’mere.” Zelda spoke, gesturing at a spot table next to her. Mary carefully sat down on the edge of the massage table. Zelda leaned in to wrap Mary in a single-armed embrace, her hand rubbing up and down on her back. Mary was still crying a bit when she pulled back.

“I fear this is rather unprofessional,” she laughed.

“I think we’re far past that point,” Zelda replied, chuckling as she reached out to wipe away Mary’s tears. 

“You know, when I was growing up, and even up until college, I used to think I was unfriendable? I used to have very low self-esteem. Especially as a kid. I was skinny, knobby-kneed, had an unruly mop of hair, and always stuck out. I mostly kept to myself, because I was always a little weird to the other kids. So, books became my companion. My teachers were always kind to me, and I enjoyed talking with them, but it wasn’t the same as having someone your own age to hang out with. It wasn’t until I met Adam that I thought that maybe I wasn’t that unbearable of a person to be around.” 

“There is absolutely  _ nothing _ about you that is unbearable, Mary. In fact, you being around makes things bearable. I do hope you know that. You’re wonderful.”

Mary looked down at her salve-covered hands, smiling nervously. Zelda wished the room were lit better so she could see the other woman’s dimples. 

“Thanks Zelda. I think you’re pretty great too.” 

Zelda smiled, looking straight ahead at the wall in front of her. 

_ This feels...good? This moment...even though I’m supposed to be getting a massage. I feel...I feel… _

Out of the corner of her eye, Zelda saw Mary slip off of the table, and start to move back around to where her stool and other items were.

“Um, Zelda?”

“Hmmn?”

“I hate to say it, but we only have about 5 minutes left in our session. Did you want me to finish up, or…?”

“It’s fine, Mary. Besides, I did come a bit early. And I feel  _ so _ much better than when I first came in.”

“I’m glad. I’ll just be, waiting outside.” Mary made a quick exit, shutting the door gently. The moment the door snicked close, Zelda let herself fall back onto the massage table, hands behind her head. She took a deep breath and blew it out with a sigh.

_ What am I doing? I don’t want to rush things. I don’t know what to do. I am hopelessly drawn to her, like a moth to a flame.  _

Zelda reluctantly got up from the table and started to put her clothes back on, her thoughts on the brunette on the other side of the door. When she reached down to put her shoes back on, she noticed that she didn’t have the same amount of tension that she had when she first came into her massage. She gathered her purse and coat, and walked out of the room towards the front desk. 

“Mary Wardwell, you are a godsend, you know that?” Zelda stretched, feeling the tension in her neck muscles almost completely gone.

“Huh?” Mary looked up from the desk, a small confused smile on her face.

“I just really enjoyed my massage, that’s all.” Zelda dug in her purse for her wallet, unzipping it as she withdrew it.

“Well I’m glad you enjoyed it, even if I took up some of your time, which I’m sorry about.”

“No need to be sorry. I love talking with you. Besides, that’s what friends are for.” Zelda smiled as she slid her credit card across the desk towards Mary. Mary looked up at Zelda and smirked as she slid the card back across the desk towards Zelda. Zelda opened her mouth to protest, but before she could say anything, Mary spoke first. 

“This one is on me.”

“Oh, I couldn’t, Mary, really.”

“It’s okay, Zelda.”

“Thank you. It was wonderful.” Zelda didn’t want to leave yet, so she stalled. 

“So uh, we still on for the orchestra next weekend?”

“Of course! I was actually going to remind you of that, just in case you had forgotten.”

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten, trust me.”

Mary looked back down at the desk, trying and failing to hide her smile. She stood up, and walked around the desk to where Zelda was standing.

“I’ll let you know once I have my work schedule all...worked out” Mary looked back and forth between Zelda’s lips and her eyes.

“Yes...do let me know…” Zelda too seemed to be entranced, unable to look away. 

“Well...I guess I’ll see you around then, huh?” Mary seemed a bit nervous, shuffling from foot to foot. Zelda didn’t say anything, simply just wrapped her arms around Mary, squeezing her tightly.

“I hope you know how wonderful you are, Mary, truly.”

Mary melted into Zelda’s touch, warmth spreading out over her whole body. Little did she know that Zelda felt a similar sensation herself.

“You’re too kind, Zelda.”

Zelda pulled back to look at Mary. 

“No, you really are. Don’t ever forget it.” Zelda leaned in to kiss Mary on the cheek, the corner of their mouths brushing together. She let the kiss linger for a bit, and wondered what would happen if either of them slightly turned their heads so their mouths could meet. Zelda felt like she was on fire, and she wanted to nuzzle against Mary’s cheek for longer. Reluctantly she pulled back, to see that Mary still had her eyes closed, and a smile across her face. 

_ I absolutely adore this dear woman... _

“See you next week?” Zelda said, feeling a bit worked up. She reached out to squeeze Mary’s hand. 

“I’m looking forward to it,” Mary replied, eyes bright as she watched Zelda walk out of her shop, slowly letting go of her hand.

 

* * *

 

The Spellmans had a whirlwind of a weekend, with the back to back funeral ceremonies. Everyone was completely involved in some aspect each day, whether it be helping guests with directions, bringing out tissues, keeping the bathroom clean, offering comfort to guests, and just being hosts in general. Zelda was relieved that she got her massage on Friday, for she knew she would be in an immense amount of pain had she waited longer. By the time Monday morning rolled around, Zelda was positively exhausted. She let herself sleep in, for once, and had no regrets about it. She had told her family not to bother her unless it was absolutely an emergency. She also had turned her phone completely off the night before, wanting her body wake up on its own. The warmth of the sunshine streaming through her window woke her up. She stretched languidly as she yawned, feeling well-rested. 

_ I wonder what time it is… _

Zelda reached over to grab her phone, and pulled it off of its charger. She held down the power button, waiting for the phone to turn on.

_ 8:45 AM? Wow. I haven’t slept this long in ages! _

Zelda saw that she had some work emails that had come in, as well as a few text messages from Mary. She immediately went to read the messages, her heart nearly jumping out of her chest as she saw that Mary had sent another photo of herself with yet another cat filter. There was a caption on the picture that said “Happy Monday!! Hope you have a great week!” Mary had also sent a message in addition to the photo.

_ Good morning Zelda! I hope you had a great weekend and are feeling a bit better. Can’t wait for this Friday! _

Zelda’s fingers moved to the text box, typing on their own accord.

_ What a sight to wake up to :-) Now I am going to have a good day for sure, thanks to you <3  _

_ I can’t wait for Friday either. See you then! _

Zelda pushed send, and leaned back into her pillows, smiling. It wasn’t long before she heard a swooping noise, indicating a new text message. She held her phone back up and saw that Mary sent a reply.

_ I will give your more info on Friday a bit later this week (ex: what time to meet up and what not). I still have some things to work out with my schedule, so once I know what time I will be finished with work on Friday, I will let you know. _

_ It is going to be so much fun!! I’m excited!!  _

_ Okay, have to get back to work now!! Talk to you soon!! xx _

As much as she tried to, Zelda could not keep the grin off her face as she thought about seeing Mary later that week. She slipped out of bed and went to get ready for the day, humming to herself under her breath. 

 

* * *

 

Hilda sang along to the radio as she emptied some rolls of coins into the cash register. She was just finishing up some of her duties around Dr. Cerberus’s before she would take her break to have lunch with Mary. She missed her friend. They hadn’t seen each other for a while. Of course, they had bumped into each other a little over a week ago; however, they hadn’t really had a chance to sit down and talk in quite some time. Hilda was excited, for she knew that Mary and Zelda had another date coming up. She couldn’t wait to talk with Mary about it. Zelda had mentioned it in passing, but she didn’t linger on the subject for too long. Hilda was scared to bring it up, in case talking about it would cause Zelda to have more anxiety. 

Hilda closed the cash register and untied her apron, heading to the back to the office, which doubled as an employee break room. When she got there, Dr. Cee was sitting at his desk, feet up, and reading a comic book. 

“Taking your break now?” He looked up and smiled when Hilda entered the room. Hilda felt herself blush, always susceptible to butterflies when Dr. Cee was around. 

“Yes. I’m just going to go have lunch with Mary.” Hilda stuck her apron in her locker, and walked over to where Dr. Cee was. She leaned over to place a quick peck on his lips. 

“Mmmn, Hilda. You are the best.”

“Oh stop it! You are!” 

“No you are!” 

“Oh you!” Hilda leaned in to kiss Dr. Cee again, several times in a row. “YOU are the best. And now I am going to go and wait for Mary, before we start something here that we won’t be able to stop!”

“Let’s continue this later then, shall we? I might even bring out the vampire costume tonight.” Dr. Cee waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Hilda. 

“Stop it! We’re still at work” Hilda said through gritted teeth. She blushed before turning around to leave the office. When she walked back out into the restaurant she saw Mary sitting at their usual booth.

“Hilda!” Mary called as she waved at Hilda. Hilda nearly ran over to where Mary was. She outstretched her arms and the two women hugged.

“I’ve missed you so much!”

“I’ve missed you too!!” Hilda replied as she slid into the booth across from Mary. “How have you been? Are you ready for your date with Zelda? Tell me  _ everything _ .” 

Mary bit her bottom lip and smiled, a blush coloring her cheeks.

“Well, I’ve been...good, mostly. Still a bit stressed out at work, but things haven’t been as bad as they were a few weeks ago. Things are starting to mellow out.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah…and the uh, other thing.” Mary looked away from Hilda, blushing once more.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, love. I was just teasing. If you don’t want to talk about you and Zelda, then it’s fine.”

“No, no. I want to talk about it. It’s just, all so...new, for me. I had only ever been with one person before, and it really wasn’t a relationship that I wanted.” 

Hilda listened intently, smiling up at her coworker who brought strawberry milkshakes over for her and Mary.

“I am just scared, I guess, of accidentally scaring Zelda away or something. I don’t know if she feels the same way I do...I mean, I don’t know if she feels as  _ much _ as I feel for her.” Mary suddenly looked sad, and Hilda reached across the table to slip her hands into Mary’s.

“Oh you two. I can’t wait for you both to realize what is right in front of you.”

“Do you really think Zelda would want to pursue a relationship with me?”

“Um, yeah! I mean, who wouldn’t, Mary? You are the kindest person in Greendale, and I think Zelda feels really safe with you. And considering her past, she needs that, to feel safe. I won’t go into specific details, as that is her story to share.” 

“Hm. Well, I will keep an open mind...and heart. You know,the funny thing about love is, it always shows up when you least expect it.”

“That’s quite true.”

“You never plan how or when you are gonna fall for someone. It always takes you by surprise.” Mary reached for her milkshake, and took a generous sip.

“Mmn. That is delicious. If all else fails in my life, at least I will still have strawberry milkshakes.” 

“Oh yes. We can’t discredit the powers of the strawberry milkshake.” Hilda kept a straight face for about 5 seconds before she burst out laughing. Mary started to laugh too, covering her mouth so she wouldn’t spit out a mouthful of milkshake all over the table. When they had caught their breaths, Mary sighed, wiping away the tears from her eyes. 

“So, about that date...what do you want to know about it?”

“What do you two have planned?”

“Well, we are going to hear the Riverdale Orchestra play some of our favorite pieces. It should be a lovely evening.”

A smile appeared across Hilda’s face, and she looked like she was a bit teary-eyed.

“Oh Mary you are absolutely  _ perfect _ for Zelda!” 

“Thank you…?” Mary seemed a bit confused as to why Hilda was getting emotional.

“Is everything okay, Hilda?”

“Yes, it’s just that I haven’t seen someone take the time to learn all of these things about Zelda, to actually try to find out her interests, likes and dislikes, and giving her the love she deserves.” 

“Wow Hilda,” Mary blew air out of her cheeks. “That certainly is a big compliment. Thank you. I just hope that things can take off smoothly, without a hitch.” 

“I’m sure things will be fine. You two are absolutely fabulous together.” 

“Thank you Hilda, but we’re not a couple yet, we’re just friends” Mary replied, blushing.

“Okay. You keep telling yourselves that. Let’s revisit this conversation in a few weeks, shall we?” Hilda winked at Mary.

“You’re so bad!” Mary reached across the table and swatted lightly at Hilda’s arm. “Don’t think I didn’t see you blushing when you first came out of here, from the office. You looked like you had just been kissed!”

“Well, I had.” Hilda confessed.

“You’re really lucky to have found someone like Dr. Cee. You are really cute together.”

“Thank you, Mary.”

“Tell me a bit more about how you two came to meet, and how you got together.”

“Well….”

Hilda trailed off before recounting the first time her and Dr. Cee--whose real name was Lance--met, and how they decided to start dating. They spent the rest of Hilda’s lunch break talking and giggling like schoolgirls, and laughing until they cried. They finished off their milkshakes and a small basket of fries, shared between them. When it was time to say goodbye, they hugged, and Hilda gave Mary some words of encouragement. She took both of Mary’s hands in her own, and looked her in the eyes.

“Okay Mary, you are going to have a  _ wonderful _ time on Friday. Don’t worry about things too much. You and Zelda are perfect together, and you are going to have fun. Just, have fun.”

“I will. Thank you, Hilda.”

“Oh, and don’t keep my sister out too late! She gets grumpy when she doesn’t get her sleep.” Hilda made a face, which made Mary laugh. 

“You got it! Well, have a good rest of the week Hilda.” Mary squeezed one of Hilda’s hands.

“Thank you love. You too. See you soon hopefully!” Mary turned around to leave, and waved at Hilda from the other side of the door before walking away.

 

* * *

Zelda didn’t know how a week could go by so slowly. It was only just Wednesday, and she already felt like it was still Monday. She had of course been counting down the days to her date with Mary. She tried to appear calm, like she wasn’t extremely nervous and excited. Hilda seemed to notice, though, as well as Ambrose and Sabrina. She suddenly was a bit more shaky for everything. Ambrose would jump up to help when she started to clear the table, and he would mumble some excuse about Zelda doing too much work and needed to take it easy. Sabrina had always been popping up at inopportune times asking Zelda if she needed any extra help with anything around the house. She grumbled out many a “no”, but Sabrina seemed to not care. And then there was Hilda. Hilda always knew when something was up with Zelda. She noticed that Zelda was even more unsettled than she was before her first date with Mary. She gave Zelda her space, and whispered phrases of encouragement and support to her whenever she got a chance. Zelda would smile appreciatively, trying to work through her anxiety.

Now, it was Wednesday afternoon, and Zelda sat in Dr. Keane’s office, waiting for her name to be called. She had her worksheet from last time, and had filled it all out. It was a bit painful to work through, especially as it brought up old memories. But, Zelda knew she had to at least try to work on it, if she wanted to get to a better place. Zelda glanced up at the clock and started to tap one of her feet on the floor. For some reason, she felt like running away, and not going to her session. 

_ Breathe Zelda, just breathe. It is the anxiety taking control. There is nothing to be afraid of here.  _

Zelda was on the edge of her seat, heart pounding. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

“Zelda Spellman?” 

Zelda’s eyes opened and she saw the nurse leaning out of the door, clipboard in hand. Zelda grabbed her purse and walked across the waiting room, and through the open door.

“Right this way, Miss Spellman” the nurse gestured kindly. Zelda already knew the way to go, but followed the nurse regardless. Zelda showed herself into the office, and the nurse muttered that Dr. Keane would be right with her. Zelda sat down in the same spot she sat in the last time, and willed herself to relax. Her stomach was twisting nervously, even though she had no reason to be nervous. Zelda could hear Dr. Keane talking out in the hallway with one of the nurses about something. She couldn’t make out their exact words, but she could tell from the cadence of their voices that one of the women was Dr. Keane. 

_ Breathe, just breathe. In, and out...in, and out. _

Zelda heard a knock on the door, and tensed up.

“Come in.”

Dr. Keane opened the door and walked in the room.

“Hi Zelda. How are you doing today?” Dr. Keane reached out to shake the therapist’s hand, still a bit jittery.

“Um…well...I’ve been better.” 

“What’s going on?”

“So, I am going on a date this coming Friday...with Mary. We’re going into Riverdale, to see the orchestra play some of our favorite pieces” Zelda tried and failed to bite back a smile.

Dr. Keane took out her notebook and started to write.

“I guess I’m just really worried about making the wrong move, or that something will go wrong? I don’t know…”

“Why would you be worried about making the wrong move?”

“Things are pretty...intense, between us.”

“What about it is intense?”

“Each time we are around each other--alone, that is, we always end up quite close.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No, no.” Zelda blushed profusely. “It’s just that, we almost always,  _ kiss _ , or it seems like we are about to...maybe I’m just imagining things, I don’t know.”

“Well, would you like to kiss Mary, Zelda? From what you’ve told me last week, it seems like you two are quite comfortable with each other.”

“ _ God _ yes!” Zelda’s hand shot up over her mouth, her eyes wide. She groaned and covered her face with both of her hands.

“I feel  _ so _ silly, like a schoolgirl.”

“It’s okay, Zelda. When we have feelings for someone, it often makes us feel funny. It’s perfectly normal.”

“I just…” Zelda’s eyes started to tear up. “There is a small part of me that still thinks that Mary won’t want me, because I am damaged goods, and that I will do something stupid and ruin everything.” Zelda dropped her head now, tears flowing freely.

“Zelda--let me stop you right there. You are not ‘damaged goods.’ Yes, you have experienced trauma in your past, but that doesn’t mean that you are damaged, or that you are any less deserving of love and affection.”

Dr. Keane held out a tissue box to Zelda, and Zelda appreciatively took a few.

“Your past relationships are not an indication of how your future ones will be. I really want you to take this to heart, Zelda.”

Zelda nodded, dabbing at the corner of her eye with the tissue.

“I know that Mary won’t  _ hit _ me or call me names, but what if something else happens, and she blames me for it? Even worse, what if  _ I  _ do something stupid and she gets hurt?”

“Zelda, you know that you won’t hurt Mary, so why even go down that route? What is your brain telling you, right now, when you have these thoughts?”

“It’s...it’s telling me that I am weak, that something is wrong with me, because I haven’t had a successful relationship...it’s telling me that I was stupid and weak in the past…that I’ll never find happiness.” Zelda’s bottom lip trembled as she started to cry again.

“I’ll have you know that you are none of those things you just said, okay? These are all cognitive distortions. You worked on the worksheet I gave you last week, right?”

“Yes.” 

“Okay. Well for your homework, I want you to start journaling. You are going to write down the cognitive distortions you know you’ve experienced each week, and then you are going to write why they are incorrect, okay?” 

“Okay.” 

“If it becomes too much, you can just write one or two down, and we can talk about them next time, okay?” 

Zelda smiled, face still wet. 

“Did you get a chance to look at the anti-anxiety techniques I gave you as well?” 

“Yes. I have been trying to do the full-body scan every so often.” 

“Ah yes, the progressive muscle relaxation. How has it been working out for you?” 

“It’s nice. I get really worked up sometimes and even if I am not outwardly displaying anxiety symptoms, it is good to check in with my body every so often.” 

“Yes, exactly.” Dr. Keane smiled. “I think you are on the right track. We are going to keep working on unraveling these cognitive distortions, and get you started with some journaling, and we’ll see where we go from here, okay?”

“Alright.” Zelda took a deep breath. “Thank you, Abby.” 

“You’re welcome. And have fun on your date Zelda. It sounds like it is going to be fun.”

“Thank you.” 

“The girls at the front desk will get you scheduled for next time, okay? Have a good week!”

Dr. Keane stood up to leave, and Zelda waved at her. Zelda got her next appointment scheduled, and went to her car. She checked her phone for a new message from Mary,  but didn’t see any. 

_ Maybe I’ll just send her a quick text, just to say hey. _

Zelda opened up her messages with Mary, and typed a quick message.

_ Hey! Just wanted to see how you are doing. Can’t wait for Friday! Hope your week is going well :-) _

Zelda started her car and turned the radio to a station she could sing along to. She carefully pulled her car out of the parking lot and turned to head home. All she could think about was her upcoming date with Mary. Though Zelda’s anxiety seemed ever-present these days, she was also filled with glee at the prospect of getting to spend some more time with Mary. Now all she had to do was make it through another day and a half and then she would be with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again as usual for reading, and thank you to my friends for encouraging me through this.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary and Zelda finally go on their second date. Will it go well?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a long one folks. Get comfy!

When Friday rolled around, Zelda could hardly contain her excitement. She had tossed and turned the night before, her thoughts fixated on her date with Mary. She didn’t feel tired, though, and was fueled by coffee and adrenaline. Hilda hadn’t said anything as she saw Zelda down multiple cups of Italian espresso. She made Zelda her favorite breakfast that morning, and put on her favorite music, so that it was playing softly in the background when she came down the stairs. She knew this date was a big deal for Zelda, and she wanted her to be as calm as possible until she went over to Mary’s. 

Zelda was unable to sit still for the entire day, and ended up abandoning a lot of tasks to go smoke cigarettes. This in turn led her to taking a shower around mid-day, because she was worried about smelling too smoky. She re-did her hair and makeup, and laid out her dress. She still had a few hours before she needed to leave to meet up with Mary, so she decided to practice some of her breathing exercises from. She went and flopped onto her bed, her hands by her sides as she stared at the ceiling. She took a few deep breaths first, before mentally doing a body scan.

_ Okay. So I just have to start with my head first, and slowly work my way down, releasing any tension that may be there. _

Zelda worked her way down her body, releasing the tension in her jaw and neck, and then her shoulders. She breathed deeply the entire time, trying to calm her racing heart.

_ Everything is going to be fine. Mary and I are going to have a nice time. _

Once she started to feel more relaxed, Zelda got up off of the bed and started to get ready. She had chosen a long-sleeved red dress to wear, that left her back out. She had matching red shoes, and bought a new red matte lipstick as well. She took her time getting dressed, and then put on her lipstick. After spritzing herself with some perfume, and checking her outfit and hair one last time, she grabbed her coat and purse, and headed down the stairs. She walked over to the living room where Hilda sat knitting, and cleared her throat.

“I’m leaving now.”

“Oh Zelda! You look lovely!” Hilda jumped up, and place her knitting aside. She walked over to Zelda and hugged her, rubbing her back.

“Have fun Zelda! You really deserve this. Don’t worry about anything here or anything that has happened in the past. You just focus on your time with Mary, okay?”

Zelda nodded, smiling shakily at her sister.

“Just remember to breathe, okay?”

“Okay. Bye Hilda.” Zelda waved before turning to leave. 

When she got into her car, she scrolled through her phone to the message Mary had sent her with her address. Zelda clicked on it and her GPS automatically showed her how far away it was. Zelda clicked to start navigating to Mary’s house and started her car.

_ Well, here goes nothing _ . 

 

* * *

 

Zelda drove down the quiet road, her GPS announcing that she had arrived. She put her car in park and looked at the house before her. It was a cute, two-story cottage that reminded her of something you would see in the English countryside. She looked in the mirror, double-checking her makeup, and grabbed her purse and coat out of the seat next to her.

_ Well, this is it Spellman.  _

Zelda stepped out of her car, her nerves fluttering, and she locked the door behind her. There was a cute gravel pathway leading up to Mary’s front door. She noticed that the plants that lined the front of the house were all perfectly manicured, as if she were stepping onto a movie set. Zelda felt her head swim a bit as she walked up to the door and lifted her hand to ring the doorbell. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pushing the doorbell, immediately stepping back and looking up at the roof of the porch.

_ Breathe, just breathe. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. _

She heard movement on the other side of the door, and she immediately tried to calm herself down, put on an air of ease. Mary pulled open the door, and Zelda felt her knees get weak. 

“Zelda! Look at you! You’re beautiful!” Mary exclaimed as she stepped forward to embrace Zelda. Zelda’s eyes fluttered close as she sunk into the hug before pulling back with a smile. Mary smelled lovely, a sweet fruity smell, and she looked gorgeous. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail that curled at the nape of her neck.

_ When did she get bangs? Did she always have them? _

The brunette wore a burgundy colored sweater, that looked lovely against her skin, and fit tightly in all of the right places. With her sweater, she had on a grey skirt, and argyle stockings, that had a diamond pattern that matched her skirt and sweater. On her feet, she wore cute black Oxford slip ons. The best part of all, perhaps, was the two-stranded pearl necklace that she wore around her neck, a neck that Zelda wanted to kiss. She tried not to ogle as she looked at Mary. She also wasn’t wearing her glasses, and Zelda found it hard to look away from the large blue eyes that studied her intently.

“Wow, Mary. You look  _ amazing _ .” Zelda spoke, still stunned.

“Why thank you, Zelda.” Mary posed and made a kissy face before laughing at herself, shaking her head. “I just threw some things together, it’s nothing special.”

“No Mary, it is. You look really beautiful.”

Mary blushed now, covering her mouth as she smiled.

“Thank you Zelda. Why don’t you come inside. I just have to grab something from upstairs.”

She stepped back and Zelda entered the house, and felt a warm, familiar feeling. There was some jazz playing softly, and the fireplace was smoking, just having been freshly put out. The house had an old-timey feel, but still there was something modern about it. There was a couch in front of the fireplace, and two armchairs on either side of said couch. Several bookshelves lined the walls, and Zelda walked over to look at some of the titles while she waited for Mary. There were books on all sorts of topics. It was like Mary had her own personal library. Zelda heard the music turn off in the background, and then heard Mary blowing out candles in the other room.

“You ready?” Mary appeared in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen, a smile across her face. 

“You have so many interesting books here. I’d love to borrow some of them sometime.”

“You can borrow anything you like. Come over again and I’ll let you take as many as you like.” Mary smiled, as she walked to the door. Mary held open the front door for her, and Zelda walked through, smiling. Once Mary made sure her porch light was turned on and that her front door was locked, she walked to her car, Zelda following.

“Which piece are you most excited to hear tonight Zelda?”

“I’m not sure. All of the ones you mentioned the other day are favorites of mine.”

The two women got into the car, and Mary started the car, carefully turning around before driving down the gravel path and onto the road.

“So Riverdale isn’t too far from my place. It’s about a fifteen to twenty minute drive depending on traffic. I want to take you somewhere first. It’s on the way.”

“Okay.”

They drove along, crossing over the bridge between Greendale and Riverdale. Zelda looked out at the Sweetwater River passing by below, trying to remember how long it had been since she last went into Riverdale.

“So how was your week?” 

“Oh, um, it was fine. Slow, but you know, sometimes it can be like that.”

“I feel that. I had a relatively quiet week at work myself. I couldn’t help but think about today though. I’ve been quite excited.”

“Me too!” Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. “I didn’t want to come across as too eager, but I really have been excited. I haven’t been taken out like this in a long time, since…” Zelda trailed off, looking down at her hands.

“Since when?”

“It’s...complicated.”

“That’s okay. We don’t have to talk about it.” Mary reached across the console to squeeze Zelda’s hand. Zelda squeezed it in return, and slipped her fingers between Mary’s. 

They had passed a sign that read “WELCOME TO RIVERDALE” and were now driving towards the main street. They stopped at a traffic light, and Mary looked over at Zelda, a smile on her face. Zelda smiled back, feeling her stomach flutter again. Mary rubbed her thumb over Zelda’s hand before unlinking their hands, needing both hands on the wheel to turn. She drove down a few blocks before slowing the car, stopping to park in front of one of the storefronts. It turned out to be an ice cream shop.

“Cones and Scones? That’s certainly an interesting name.” Zelda remarked, opening up her car door.

“They sell ice cream here, as well as pastries. I thought I would take you for a treat before the concert, because you deserve it.” Mary grinned at Zelda, linking their arms together as they walked into the shop. A little bell dinged above the door as they walked in, and they were met with the scent of sugar and freshly-baked pastries. Mary walked Zelda over to the counter where there were an assortment of macarons, cupcakes, scones, and brownies behind the glass. Across from the pastry case was the ice cream counter, with bright illustrations of each flavor on the wall above it. Zelda looked up at the menu, and felt a bit overwhelmed. There were  _ so _ many things to choose from. Mary watched her intently.

“Do you need some time to think about what you want to order?” Zelda’s eyes scanned the ice cream menu, and looked for something familiar. 

“I think I will have the chocolate chip cookie dough.” Zelda replied watching Mary. 

Mary kept her arm linked with Zelda’s, and leaned forward to look at the desserts.

“How are you ladies doing today?” A bubbly voice greeted them. Zelda looked  to see a worker wearing a pastel pink apron and a matching baseball cap standing in front of them, on the other side of the counter. 

“We’re doing fine, that you.” Mary replied.

“What can I get started for you?”

“We’ll take a small cup of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, a small cup of vanilla with salted caramel, and a case of 10 macarons. For the macarons I would like half of them to be mango flavored, and the other half Earl-Grey.”

“You got it.” The worker turned around to go get the ice cream, reaching into the freezer with a scoop in hand. Mary briefly let go of Zelda’s arm to walk over to the cash register. She reached out for Zelda’s hand, pulling her over to where she stood. They shared a smile before the worker came back over with their ice cream and macarons. Mary paid, and led Zelda back outside, heading for a bench that was in front of the store. They sat down, knees turned toward each other. Zelda took a bite of her ice cream, and her eyes shut as she groaned.

_ “Mmmmn _ . That is absolutely divine.”

“This is some of my most favorite ice cream, you know? I drive over here to get it occasionally. They use liquid nitrogen to make it. It is delicious.” Mary started to eat her own ice cream, enjoying every bite. 

“Thank you for bringing me here. This is delicious.” Zelda spoke from behind her hand as she chewed.

“You are most welcome!” Mary dug the spoon into her ice cream and took a bite.

“Mmmn. You have  _ got  _ to try this flavor, Zelda. I think you’ll love it. Unless you aren’t a big caramel fan?” Mary looked down at the thick strands of caramel that were drizzled across her scoop of ice cream, sea salt sprinkled on top of it. Mary held her cup out to Zelda.

“I think I might take you up on that offer” Zelda replied before sticking her spoon into Mary’s ice cream. A long strand of caramel hung off of the spoon, and when Zelda took a bite, it stuck to her chin. 

“Oh wow that really is delicious.”

Mary smiled and sat her own ice cream down in her lap, and pulled out a napkin. Zelda was still enjoying the rich bite of ice cream, letting it melt in her mouth, when Mary suddenly placed a hand on the side of Zelda’s face, and brought the napkin up to her mouth. Zelda seemed confused for a moment, and swallowed.

“You just have something...right...there, there you go.” Mary replied, balling up the napkin in her hand. She let her other hand linger on the side of Zelda’s face, and brushed her cheek with her thumb. Zelda’s cheek warmed up under Mary’s touch. She swiped her tongue over her lips as she studied Mary, inching closer, still tasting traces of the caramel. Mary’s thumb started to drift slowly down Zelda’s cheek and across to the corner of her mouth. Zelda opened her mouth slightly, her breathing speeding up. Mary slid her thumb to the outside corner of Zelda’s mouth, before brushing her bottom lip back and forth. Mary looked down at Zelda’s mouth and then back up into her eyes, smiling. This time it was Mary who moved a little closer, eyes still going between Zelda’s mouth and her eyes, silently asking for permission. Mary lifted her hand off of Zelda’s face, and brought her thumb to her mouth, sucking on the tip of it while maintaining eye contact with Zelda. 

Zelda was sure she was going to pass out from lust, her need increasing. She had felt a gush of wetness flood her panties at the shameless look in Mary’s eyes. Zelda’s eyelids fluttered as she tried to take a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She leaned in even closer before the shrill ringing of her phone caused her to jump back.

“Oh! Sorry!” Zelda immediately scrambled for her phone inside her purse, withdrawing it with an apologetic look on her face. She saw that it was Sabrina who was calling, and mouthed “ _ sorry _ ” to Mary before answering. 

“Hi Sabrina.”

_ “Hi Aunt Zee. I just wanted to call and tell you that I hope you have fun on your date.” _

“That is very kind of you, Sabrina. I’m actually here right now.”

_ “Oh! Oh my gosh I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt! I will talk to you later!” _

“It’s okay Sabrina, don’t worry about it. I’ll see you later.”

_ “Bye Aunt Zee!! Love you!” _

“Goodbye.”

Zelda switched her phone to silent mode, and then put on the “do not disturb” feature before sliding her phone back into her bag.

“I’m sorry Mary.” Zelda looked sheepish. They had been so close to kissing, and Zelda’s phone interrupted the moment. 

“It’s okay Zelda,” Mary replied before sticking another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. “We should probably head over to the concert hall anyways.” Mary said, as she finished off the rest of her ice cream. She tucked the bag of macarons in her purse as she stood up, and then turned to offer a hand to Zelda. Zelda accepted her hand gratefully, and smiled from around the little ice cream spoon that was still in her mouth. She tossed the now empty cup and spoon into a nearby trash can as they walked the short distance back to Mary’s car. 

 

* * *

 

They drove for several blocks until the buildings around them started to change. Expensive businesses lined the streets, and the cars around them seemed to get fancier the more they drove along. Zelda looked up in the pink sunset light at the concert hall, a magnificent older theater. They stopped at a light at the corner across from the venue, and Zelda looked around at all of the cars heading into the parking garage, and the people walking down the sidewalk. When the light changed, Mary pulled into the valet parking in front of the concert hall.

“Okay I’ve got my coat and purse...I think that’s all. You got everything, Zelda?” 

“Yeah.”

Mary got out of the car handed the keys and some dollar bills to the valet before running around the front of the car to Zelda’s side, opening the door for her. Zelda climbed out of the car and Mary closed the door. They walked around the back of the car and onto the sidewalk, towards the entrance. Mary gave the attendant their tickets to be scanned, while Zelda looked up at the old colonial brick building. It was a gorgeous building. When she stepped inside, she was floored by the huge crystal chandelier that hung in the lobby. There was a lovely plush carpet, and high, vaulted ceilings that had intricate art deco looking cutouts on it. 

“This place is amazing” Zelda said, in awe.

“It is, isn’t it?” Mary slipped her hand into Zelda’s, smiling at how natural it felt. She led Zelda over to the bar and ordered two glasses of champagne, letting go of Zelda’s hand to get her wallet out. The bartender slid to two glasses across the counter, and Mary grabbed them both, handing one to Zelda. 

“Here’s to a lovely evening, with the prettiest girl in Greendale.” Mary said jovially, clinking her glass with Zelda’s. Zelda blushed before looking down into her glass and downing almost the whole thing. 

“Woah. Do you want another?” Mary asked, watching as Zelda studied the remaining liquid in the glass.

“Yes please.” 

Mary turned back to the bar and ordered Zelda another glass, and this one she sipped. 

“Let’s go upstairs to our seats, hm?” Mary nodded her head in the direction of the grand staircase. Zelda stayed by her side as the walked up the winding steps, up to the second level of the concert hall. Mary studied the numbers about the doorways as they walked, and led Zelda over to a doorway with a curtain pulled aside. An usher was standing adjacent to the doorway, and he held out a program to Mary and Zelda.

“Enjoy the performance ladies.”

“Thank you.” 

Zelda followed Mary, and her jaw dropped as she realized that they had box seats, the view of the stage fantastic. There were only about 10 seats in each box, and there was an older couple sitting down already. Zelda smiled and said hello as she followed Mary down to the seats directly in front of the couple. Mary placed their drinks on the edge of the banister while she first took off her coat, and then helped Zelda take off hers. 

“Here, now we should be a bit more comfortable.”

They finished their champagne while they looked over the program, waiting for the program to start. Zelda was leaning in towards Mary, nearly resting her chin on her shoulder.

“So, it looks like for the first half of the program, they are going to be performing Stravinsky’s  _ Rite of Spring _ , and then the  _ Firebird Suite _ . After the intermission, we’ll hear Debussy’s  _ La Mer _ , the  _ Children’s Corner Suite _ , and excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s  _ Swan Lake _ . Sounds like a good program to me, what do you say?” Mary looked over at Zelda, who was leaning into her side across the armrest.

“It sounds like it is going to be an amazing night for sure.” 

Mary just grinned, and began to tell Zelda about the history of the venue, when it was first built, how it was constructed, and the history of the orchestra. Zelda just loved how knowledgeable the woman was, and she was so cute when she lit up talking about history. 

“Excuse me?” a voice called out from behind them. Zelda felt a tap on her shoulder, and both her and Mary turned around to look. It was the old woman sitting behind them. Mary smiled, looking at the woman expectantly, nodding at her to continue. 

“How long have you two been married?”

Zelda felt her face grow hot, and Mary blushed. She wanted to blurt out that they weren’t married, but her voice seemed to leave her. Luckily, Mary spoke instead.

“Actually, we aren’t married...”

“Oh really dear? Could’ve fooled me! You two are just lovely together!”

Mary let out an airy chuckle in response, her dimples showing, before wrapping her arm around Zelda and kissing her on the cheek.

“We may not be married, but she is very special to me.” Zelda stole a look at Mary as the lights dimmed, signaling that the program was to start soon. 

The orchestra began to tune their instruments, and Zelda nearly bounced up and down in her seat with excitement. She looked over at Mary again and smiled, before shyly kissing Mary on the cheek. Mary looked down and slid her hand, palm up, across Zelda’s lap, asking for permission. Zelda slipped her hand into Mary’s without a thought, her body warming up from the contact. Suddenly, the opening notes of  _ Rite of Spring  _ could be heard, and Zelda lit up. The screen onstage, behind the orchestra had an animation on it that matched the music. The various stage lights around the concert hall changed colors to match the action on screen, and there were projections that danced across the walls. The first piece wasn’t exactly a tearjerker, but Zelda still found herself moved, her eyes glassy. Mary kept Zelda’s hand in her own for all of the first piece, thumb brushing the skin on the back of Zelda’s hand every so often. When it ended Zelda was amazed, and looked over at Mary to see that her eyes looked a little wet as well. Mary lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to the back of Zelda’s. Zelda hummed pleasantly. 

The second piece started, Zelda felt her tears return. She was truly, perfectly happy. The fact that Zelda was not only out doing something she loved, but also with the person she loved made it all worth her time. Mary studied Zelda, the reflection of the colorful lights dancing across her face, the childlike wonder in her eyes. It was a beautiful sight, and Mary decided right then and there that she always would try to make Zelda smile like this. The piece, a suite, went through each movement, and Mary kept her eyes on Zelda the entire time. When the final movement ended, the audience erupted into a round of applause. Zelda jumped up with tears in her eyes, clapping.  Mary stood to her feet too, applauding the orchestra. It was now time for the intermission, and the lights eventually turned back to normal.

“That was simply  _ magnificent _ !”  Zelda said loudly, hands gesturing in the air. “The projections, the lights, and animation—everything!” 

They sat back down, watching as the audience below them dispersed to take care of their intermission needs. Zelda looked around the concert hall, taking in everything with a look of wonder on her face. She looked behind their seats and saw that they were now alone, as the older couple who shared their box had vanished into the lobby for refreshments. Mary leaned over towards Zelda, wanting nothing more than to pepper her lips with kisses. 

“I’m so glad you are enjoying yourself. I’ve never seen you like this before.” Mary spoke, mouth near Zelda’s ear. “You are  _ stunning _ .” 

Zelda could feel Mary’s breath tickling her ear, and she turned, their faces close. 

“So are you…” it came out as a whisper. Zelda took a deep breath, willed herself to stop trembling, and brought her hand up to cup Mary’s cheek, not breaking eye contact. Mary’s eyes were half mast now, pupils blown wide, her need undeniable. Zelda let her thumb rub over Mary’s bottom lip, and then across her chin. She tilted Mary’s chin up, and leaned in, letting their foreheads touch first, then their noses. She could feel the gentle puff of air from Mary’s nose tickle her upper lip. Zelda smiled and tilted her head slightly, before gently placing her mouth against Mary’s. She was soft and warm, and Zelda felt every nerve ending in her body come to life. She felt like she had been kissed by the sun on a balmy day, the warmth traveling right down to her toes. Mary’s mouth started to move against hers, gently, and Zelda responded. She tasted like the champagne they had earlier, and Zelda could feel rather than hear Mary’s moan, a soft buzz against her lips. Zelda was sure her heart rate was at a dangerous level by now, and wondered if Mary could hear it. When Zelda pulled back for air, she smiled at Mary, who returned the smile, and they both laughed.

“That was…” Zelda licked her lips, still grinning.

“Amazing? Wonderful? Everything we dreamed it would be?” Mary had gone all pink as she spoke, and Zelda smiled before leaning in to press another kiss against Mary’s mouth. It felt good, and Mary stopped talking, enjoying the moment.

“Mmmn.” Mary moaned as she pulled back to catch her breath. “You truly are amazing, Zelda.”

“As are you my dear.” Zelda leaned back in to nuzzle Mary’s nose with her own, a grin across her face. 

“Oh Ed, just  _ look  _ at those two lovebirds! Aren’t they just the cutest?” the old woman who had been seated behind them exclaimed as she helped her husband return to his seat. Mary and Zelda were completely oblivious to what was going on around them. They both flushed, a bit nervous now that they remembered where they were. 

“What was it you said you wanted me to bring you back another of, Ed? Red wine or white?”

“Red! Remember I said red!” 

“Oh yes, that’s right. I’ll be right back dear!” 

Mary covered her mouth to giggle at the older couple. Zelda let out a chuckle herself.

“I’m just going to run to the bathroom quickly before it starts again.” Zelda said, squeezing Mary’s hand and leaning in to kiss her on the cheek before getting up from her seat. Mary closed her eyes the moment Zelda left, and sunk back into her seat. She ran her fingertips over her lips and smiled.

_ So that really just happened… _

 

* * *

 

When Zelda was finished in the bathroom, she took a moment to look at herself in the mirror. She dried her hands and caught sight of the healthy flush that now decorated her chest. She brought a hand up to her lips and smiled, remembering Mary’s lips on hers. 

_ What an incredible night! I can’t believe this is real! _

Zelda almost laughed out loud in glee, and thought better of it as someone else entered the bathroom. The other woman held the door for her, and Zelda thanked her before slipping through. She walked down the hallway, eager to get back to Mary before the next part of the concert started. She was almost back to their box when she heard her name being called.

“Zelda Spellman.”

She immediately froze in her tracks, ice traveling down her spine as she recognized the voice.

_ What?...no…no! It can’t be. No no no no… _

She was frozen on the spot, could barely turn around as she heard the voice again. She reached a hand out against the wall next to her for support.

“I thought that was you.” 

Faustus Blackwood stepped into view, and Zelda started trembling, backing up against the wall. He looked her up and down, haughtily, and smirked.

“Well, I see you have gotten a little more... _ experimental _ these days, adding some color to that drab wardrobe of yours.”

Zelda found her voice, her eyes wide and filling with tears.

“Wh-what are you doing here, Faustus?”

“I just had some business here in town, and thought I would take a night off.”

“But...you’re not supposed to be here.”

“Oh yes, that unpleasant business. Well you see, I had one of my good lads here in town make some ah, changes, to that silly restraining order you had placed against me, so I could come here to take care of some business. He couldn’t do away with the part that keeps me out of Greendale, but I can feel free to frequent Riverdale as I please.” He had a smug grin across his face, and Zelda wished someone would slap it off. She felt bile rising in her throat, and she didn’t realize that even her legs had started shaking. 

“Go away.” Zelda swallowed, her throat dry. “ _ Please.  _ I can’t…”

“What was that Zelda?” Faustus stepped closer, smiling wickedly as Zelda shrank into the wall. “I didn’t seem to catch that last part. Still haven’t learned to speak up for yourself I see. Pity.” 

Zelda’s face crumpled a bit, but she regained her composure. 

“And there you go, getting all emotional, as usual. Remember Zelda, I told you crying like that is not attractive. It makes your wrinkles show.”

Zelda hung her head. She wanted to run back to Mary, to her love, and her kisses, but she didn’t want Faustus to see where she was sitting, let alone who she was with. She didn’t want him anywhere near Mary, and would do anything to keep her safe from him. She eyed the door where her and Mary’s seats were, and then focused her panicked gaze on Faustus, wishing she could make a run for it. 

“Excuse me young man, do you have some business with this young woman here?”

Zelda felt a bony arm slip around her shoulders, and looked to see the old woman who was sharing the box with her and Mary.

“Excuse you,  _ ma’am _ , but I would expect a woman of your age to know when you are nosing into a private conversation.” Faustus spat.

“Young man, that is  _ no  _ way to speak to your elders!” The woman shook her finger at Faustus, scolding him. 

“My husband and I own this concert hall, and we can have you removed immediately, and even banned. As a matter of fact, I think I will have a conversation with security right now. Leave this lovely woman alone. You’re being a bully and you are scaring her. She owes you nothing!” 

Faustus sneered, the very picture of indignance, before turning on his heel and walking away, back down the hall.

“Are you okay dear?” The woman rubbed Zelda’s back. Zelda had started to panic, could feel the need to run, to get some fresh air.

“I—I…” Zelda gulped, trying to will away the panic attack. “I have to go…” Zelda said weakly as she lurched out of the woman’s embrace and ran down the stairs, somehow making it down safely upon trembling legs. When she reached the front door she pushed it open, and ran outside, gasping. 

_ I can’t, I can’t….how is he here? How could he show up like this? On my date with Mary—oh god, Mary...I need air, it’s so hard to breathe… _

Zelda raised her hands up to her head and leaned against the wall. She started taking in large gulps of air, trying and failing to catch her breath. Her chest started to get tight as she willed herself to calm down.

_ Mary...I need to find Mary…I need... _  
  
  


* * *

 

Mary started to look around nervously when the lights dimmed in the concert hall and Zelda hadn’t yet returned. She turned around to look back up at the doorway but saw no movement. 

_ I hope she’s alright...I hope she isn’t having second thoughts… _

“Dear? Excuse me?” It was the old woman again, now gently shaking Mary’s shoulder. Her head whipped around, a bit startled by the woman’s sudden appearance. She moved around to stand in front of Mary.

“Yes? What’s the matter?”

“It’s your girl. I came across a rather unpleasant man talking with her, had her all shaken up. I interrupted, stepped in to try and help. The poor dear was so scared she was shaking. She looked sick and ran outside before I could see if she was alright. You should go and check on her.”

“Oh!” Mary’s heart sank as she stood up, taking her coat with her.

“We’ll watch your belongings, dear, don’t worry about a thing. Just go and make sure she is okay.”

“Thank you,” Mary looked appreciative as she turned to run up the few stairs and out of their box. She slipped her coat around her shoulders as she carefully but quickly ran down the stairs and out the front door. When she got outside she looked around, and immediately spotted Zelda off to the side of the doors, leaning against the wall.

“Zelda!” Mary ran over, her heart breaking as she got closer. Zelda was hyperventilating, and her face was red as she panted, gasping for air. Tears were running down her face, and she was shaking, her back against the wall.

“Oh Zelda,” Mary’s eyes started to tear up, seeing Zelda in such a state. “Zelda it’s me, Mary.” She carefully reached out to place her hands on Zelda’s shoulders. Zelda’s hands immediately reached up to grasp her wrists, trying to anchor herself. 

“We need to get your breathing under control, or you are going to make yourself sick.” Mary took one of Zelda’s hands and placed it against her chest, so Zelda could feel the rise and fall of her breath.

“Breathe with me, Zelda. In, and out. In, and out.” Zelda tried at first and panicked a bit when she couldn’t slow down. Her green eyes looked into Mary’s, silently asking for help.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, you’re fine. Just breathe slowly. In, out. In, out.” 

Zelda kept following Mary’s voice, trying to control her breathing, and eventually she got her racing pulse to slow down a bit, was able to take a deep breath. Mary watched as her face crumpled, and cupped her face in her hands, leaning their foreheads together.

“Shhh. You’re okay, it’s okay.” She swiped her thumbs over Zelda’s cheeks, wiping away the tear tracks. 

“You just cry if you need to, okay? I’m here for you, and I’m not going anywhere.” Zelda slumped forward, slipping her arms around Mary’s waist. Mary hugged Zelda tightly in return, slipping her hand up to cup the back of her head. She rocked her slowly from side to side, and rubbed her back. She whispered soothing words into Zelda’s hair, leaving tiny kisses in-between her murmurs. Zelda buried her face in Mary’s neck, let the feel of Mary’s arms around her ground her bring her back down. Zelda slipped back a bit, and looked into Mary’s eyes, and managed a small smile.

“You feeling a bit better?” Mary brushed some of Zelda’s hair behind her ear, and over her shoulder. Zelda managed a small nod, sadness still in her eyes. She shivered again, and Mary took off her coat and slipped it around Zelda’s shoulders, pulling it closed. 

“Can we go somewhere else?” Mary almost missed Zelda’s voice, it was so quiet. She looked into Zelda’s red-rimmed eyes.

“Yes sweetheart. We can go anywhere you’d like. Let me just run inside and get our things. Are you going to be okay for a minute?”

Zelda nodded. Mary leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Zelda’s forehead.

“I’ll be  _ right _ back, okay?”

“Okay.”

Mary disappeared for a moment, going back inside to where they were sitting. She quietly gathered their purses, and Zelda’s coat, before stopping by the old lady and her husband. 

“Did you catch up with your girl, dear?” The woman whispered, as the concert had started again. Mary crouched down by the woman’s seat so she could talk quietly and be heard.

“Yes, yes. She isn’t feeling well, so we are going to leave now.”

“Oh that’s too bad. Listen, why don’t you call the box office tomorrow, and tell them you spoke with Anne and Ed, and we’ll get you two some more tickets to come back to another performance, okay?”

“Thank you both  _ so _ much for your kindness. I appreciate it.”

“Our pleasure, dear. We love to see people in love, enjoying themselves.” Mary stood to leave, and Anne quickly whispered again “what was your name dear?” 

“Mary, my name is Mary…”

“And your friend?”

“Zelda. Her name is Zelda.” 

“Well it was nice to meet you Mary. You go on and take care of Zelda. We’ll see you two around.” 

“Thank you for your kindness. I hope to see you two again too. Bye!” Mary waved in the darkness as she stood up and left the box, the orchestra playing behind her. She wiped at her eyes as she walked back down the stairs to the main lobby level. 

_ Oh Zelda. Who hurt you? _

She pushed open the door closest to where Zelda was, and walked outside. She saw Zelda huddled in her coat, still sniffling. She looked adorable despite the circumstances they found themselves in. Mary approached Zelda, and noticed how the redhead jumped when she looked up.

“Oh honey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” She wrapped an arm around Zelda’s shoulders before pulling her to her. 

“Let’s get you home.”

Mary walked with Zelda in her embrace back to where the valet parking attendant sat at his booth. Mary handed him their parking ticket stub, and he went to look for their car keys. 

“Leaving so soon ladies?”

“Yes, we’re gonna call it a night.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” The attendant said apologetically. “I’ll just be right back with your car.”

Mary smiled, and watched as he walked across the small lot in the direction of her car. She rubbed Zelda’s shoulder, hugging her once more, and turned to press a kiss into the auburn curls. Mary heard the sound of her car, and saw that the parking attendant had returned. He parked the car directly in front of them, and hopped out, leaving the driver’s side door open and rushing around to open the passenger side for Zelda.

“You ladies have a lovely evening!”

“Thank you, you too.” Mary handed him a generous tip before helping Zelda into her seat. Zelda reached for her seatbelt, and Mary closed the passenger side door before running around to climb into the driver’s seat. She turned the heat up in the car, a bit chilled herself. She looked over at Zelda, who had curled up in the passenger seat. 

“Hang in there Zelda.” Mary muttered as she put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was a fun one, huh? I hope I am doing these characters [or my version at least] justice. I normally don't update this story with like 4 days in-between updates, because I take my time to stew over things; however, I have been looking forward to this chapter for SO long. I got really excited and wrote it over the weekend. I figured it would be a nice treat for you all too, as I will be super busy the rest of this week and this coming weekend, and don't know when I will have the next chapter posted. 
> 
> If you haven't tried liquid nitrogen ice cream, I highly recommend it. There is a place near my house that makes the exact flavor that Mary had here, and oh my LILITH it is so delicious! Too bad I'm lactose intolerant and can't have it without suffering afterwards. Otherwise, I'd eat it every day. It is so creamy and perfect, and they actually sprinkle large grains of sea salt over the top of it, on top of the caramel and it is perfection. 
> 
> Maybe I will find some inspiration for future chapters while at the Imogen Heap concert on Thursday ;-) 
> 
> Thank you all again for reading and following along. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary takes Zelda home after their date takes an unpleasant turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Physical and verbal abuse and non-consensual sex. 
> 
> Heavy trigger warning for this chapter. There is some very unpleasant stuff up ahead. If you need to scroll past it, it is the large section that is in italics, and it starts after the first page break thing. It is a flashback, and I try not to let it linger. It is just a moment where Zelda thinks back on the past. As I said, if you need to scroll past it, please do so.

Zelda was silent during the drive back to Mary’s house, and Mary looked over every so often to make sure she was okay. She had taken her shoes off and curled up in the passenger seat, leaning her head against the window. She was hiding her face from Mary, but Mary heard occasional sniffles coming from her, and knew she was crying. She tried to drive as quickly yet carefully as possible. She wanted to get Zelda away from whoever had hurt her, wanted to keep her safe. The two drove in silence until they pulled back onto the street that led up to Mary’s house.

“We’re almost back Zelda, just a few more minutes.”

Mary continued to drive carefully, the night thick and the road dark. She finally saw clearing in the trees that indicated the start of her property, and she began to slow down, turning carefully into her driveway. Zelda turned to look at Mary, her face a bit red.

“I’m sorry I ruined our date.” Zelda whispered, as if she were afraid to speak.

“Oh Zelda, don’t say that. You didn’t ruin a thing!” Mary reached out to take one of Zelda’s hands in-between her own.

“It’s just...we were having such a nice time, and I haven’t had that much fun in ages…” Zelda looked sad again. “I don’t want tonight to be over yet.”

Mary lifted Zelda’s hand up and placed a kiss to the back of it, letting her eyes close briefly.

“Come inside. We can listen to some music for a bit, and I’ll make us some tea or something...but only if you want to. I know tonight ended up being very draining for you. I don’t want you to feel obligated to keep my company any longer than you have to.”

“But...I always like your company…” Zelda sounded like a small child, and it was endearing. Mary kissed Zelda’s hand again, warmth flooding through her body.

“Well then. Let’s get in quickly, and I can start a fire.”

Zelda unbuckled herself and opened the car door. She groaned as she unfolded her legs, and felt a bit light-headed, suddenly leaning on the car.

“Are you okay?” Mary couldn’t hide the hint of panic in her voice.

“Yes, yes. I just get a bit dizzy after I’ve had a panic attack, that’s all.” Zelda closed her eyes, waiting till she wasn’t seeing stars. She felt Mary’s hand on her back, rubbing gently.

“Let me know if you need to go home. I can take you.”

“You’re too kind. I just need to sit down for a bit.”

“Okay. I’ll put on the fireplace”

Mary left her hand on the small of Zelda’s back, and gently led her to the front door. Zelda looked at the way her ponytail fell across her shoulders as she unlocked the door.

“Here we are. Make yourself at home.” Mary stepped aside, letting Zelda enter first. Mary turned on a light, and dropped her purse and coat on a chair, before making a beeline for the fireplace. She crouched down and opened up the grate, adding some logs before lighting it. Zelda just stood and watched, still wrapped up in Mary’s coat. Mary turned around and looked up at Zelda.

“Zelda come here, get comfortable.” She gestured towards the couch. Zelda walked over, suddenly quite shy. Mary took Zelda’s hands in her own, and sat her down directly in front of the fireplace.

“Let’s get you all warmed up and cozy, hm?” Mary looked up at Zelda in the growing firelight, and kissed the backs of her hands. Zelda nodded appreciatively.

“Just a second.” Mary stood up and walked around the side of the couch and picked something up. When she came back, Zelda saw that she had a pair of fuzzy socks in her hands.

“I keep a basket down here with extra socks, because my feet get cold.” Mary knelt back down in front of Zelda and looked up at her as she took each of Zelda’s shoes off. “These should help.” Mary muttered, as she slipped one sock after the other onto Zelda’s feet. Mary moved to stand up again, and Zelda reached out to grab her left shoulder.

“Wait.” Her voice was quiet.

“Yes?” Mary looked at her expectantly. Zelda slipped Mary’s coat off of her shoulders, and sat forward so that she was on the edge of the couch. She reached out with cold, shaking hands and cupped Mary’s face. Mary watched as the glow of the flames danced in Zelda’s eyes, her own fluttering shut as Zelda leaned forward to place a languid kiss against her mouth.

“Mmmmn.” Mary opened her eyes as Zelda broke the kiss to see the redhead looking at her with tears in her eyes.

“You are a good person, Mary.” Mary smiled at Zelda and let her hand come to rest on the side of Zelda’s face, her thumb stroking the soft skin there.

“So are you.”

Doubt flickered across Zelda’s eyes for a split second, and Mary pushed her brows up in concern.

“You gonna be okay for a moment? I want to put the kettle on.”

“Yeah.”

Mary stood up out of Zelda’s touch, and kissed the top of her head before walking into the kitchen. She sat out two mugs and put the kettle on when she heard Zelda call out to her.

“Mary?”

“Yes?” Mary pulled a jar of marshmallows and a tin of hot cocoa out of the cabinet, and sat them on the counter.

“Where’s the bathroom?”

“Down the hall on your left, and it will be the first door on your right.”

Mary leaned to look out of the kitchen doorway, watching Zelda’s back disappear around the corner.

 

* * *

 

Once in the bathroom, Zelda walked over to the sink and turned on the faucet. She looked in the mirror, horrified by the sight of her now streaky and smudged makeup.

_I can’t believe Faustus showed up tonight. Damn him! Damn him to Hell! How can he still have this last remaining piece of power over me?? Ugh. And to think things were going so lovely with Mary too...that bastard._

Zelda looked down at the sink, the way the water bubbled up in the basin. She didn’t realize she had started to cry until the sink blurred beneath her. She thought of the last time she had gone out on a date night.

_It was a charity fundraiser that Faustus had attended to try to better his name in the public eye, to draw more voters. That evening had ended poorly too. Her and Faustus were the talk of the town, dressed in a stunning, matching ensemble in black. She was every bit the dutiful fiancee, and smiled at who she was supposed to, waved, and stayed glued to Faustus’s side. She made an error, though, in running over to talk with one of her friends without Faustus’s permission. She knew things would be bad for her when he pinched her arm as he reappeared at her side. Zelda’s eyes watered, and she smiled through the discomfort, knowing she would have a bruise there the next day. She had been wound tight with fear and anxiety over what Faustus would do when they returned home. He remained civil and chatty, even as his driver took them back to his home. The very moment they got home, Zelda rushed inside, ahead of Faustus. He made a joke about women to his driver before getting out of the car and going inside the house. Zelda was in her spare bedroom, hiding. She shakily removed her earrings out, rushed to take her necklace off, to save herself from getting injured additionally. Suddenly, she sensed a change in the air of the room, and Faustus was at the door._

_“Zelda. I don’t know why you waste your time running away from me, especially when you haven’t received your punishment yet. Zelda’s lower lip trembled, and she blinked rapidly, trying to clear the tears from her eyes._

_“Oh dear.” Faustus smiled, starting to laugh. “Are you going to cry now?” He stepped across the room to Zelda, shoving her up against the wall. He grabbed a handful of Zelda’s hair and pulled her head back so she was forced to face him. Zelda squeezed her eyes shut, not able to look at Faustus._

_“_ **_Open, your eyes_ ** _.” Faustus sneered, nails digging into Zelda’s scalp. She opened them, and was shaking profusely. A small part of her was glad she thought to empty her bladder when they first got home, as she was sure she would have wet herself by now._

_“LOOK AT ME!” he bellowed, spittle flying in her face. Zelda winced at his yell._

_“I--I’m...I’m so-sorry.” Zelda forced out, a mere squeak. She never saw the slap coming, and was blindsided by it. She saw stars momentarily as the sound of his hand meeting her face echoed through her head._

_“What was that? You’re what?”_

_“I’m ssss--sorry.” Another slap, this one a backhand. Zelda felt her lip split open where one of Faustus’s rings met her face. Tears spilled out of her eyes, and Zelda weakly tried to pull out of his grip, the hand in her hair only tightening._

_“Don’t you_ **_ever_ ** _talk to someone without my permission again. Do you understand?” Faustus sneered into her ear. Zelda just nodded, still trembling._

_“Good. Now that we’ve understood, how about we have a little fun.”_

_Zelda felt her heart rate increase again, and she began to feel a little sick._

_“Please Faustus. I don’t feel well tonight.”_ _  
_

_“Nonsense. Get on the bed.”_

_“I—I really am not feeling well. I think I am coming down with something.”_

_“Well, you will have time to whine and groan about it later. Now_ **_GET_ ** _on the bed.”_

_Zelda turned out of Faustus’s grip, and faced the bed, before being shoved down face first onto the comforter. She felt Faustus lifting up her dress, ripping through her stockings and lace panties. She cried as she heard him unzipping his pants. She thought about all of the pleasant times in her life as Faustus forced himself inside of her, a hand squeezing painfully at her neck._

Zelda looked up at herself in the mirror, coming back to the present moment, away from the horrible memories of the past. She felt bile rising in her throat, and turned to lunge for the toilet, knees jarring painfully against the floor. She cried as she was sick several times, emptying her stomach completely. She shook as she leaned on the toilet, sweat pooling at the small of her back.

_Why did I stay for so long? Faustus could have killed me? I wasted so many good years of my life…_

Zelda sat crouched up on the floor, crying into her knees. Some time passed, and she heard a knock at the door. She weakly stood up, flushing the toilet.

“Zelda? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah!” Zelda called out, cursing the wet sound of her voice. She went back over to the sink, faucet still running, and lathered her hands up, washing them, before rinsing out her mouth. Zelda suddenly felt the need to wash her face as well. She got most of her makeup off, and used some toilet tissue to dab her face dry, not wanting to stain Mary’s hand towels with makeup.

When Zelda walked back down the hallway to the living room, she saw Mary sitting on the couch with her glasses on, stockinged feet tucked up underneath her. She had a steaming mug in her hands, and was blowing across the top of it.

“Are you feeling okay Zelda? I made you some hot cocoa. You don’t have to have any if you don’t want to, though.”

“Thank you Mary.” Zelda wiped at a tear that rolled down her cheek. Mary patted the couch next to her, and Zelda walked over and sat down, looking straight ahead into the fireplace. Mary put her mug down and pulled a throw off of the back of the couch, and wrapped it around Zelda. She kept an arm around Zelda’s shoulders, and Zelda sunk into her embrace, coming to rest her head on Mary’s shoulder. She stayed there for a beat, before sitting up, and looking at Mary.

“I uh, I want to tell you what happened, but there is so much…” Zelda bit her lip, nervously staring at a random spot in the fire, watching the flames flicker.

“Take you time Zelda. Only do what is comfortable for you.”

“No, I _have_ to tell you. I…” Zelda took a deep breath. “I was in a relationship, a few years ago...” her eyes started to water again, and Mary slipped her hand into hers, squeezing it.

“He, um,” Zelda hiccuped, “he used to hit me.” Zelda said quickly, afraid to see Mary’s reaction. Mary simply began to rub Zelda’s back, offering her extra comfort.

“We...he...he was--well, is a politician. I was drawn to the power. I wanted the status, the money, the lifestyle. Everything. And it turned out he just wanted a trophy wife, a woman he could display on his arm like a piece of meat. Someone who he could _fuck_ whenever he wanted, someone he could control, who he could slap around when he was angry or had been embarrassed in public.”

“Oh Zelda” Mary whispered, her heart completely breaking for the woman before her.

“If it weren’t for Hilda, I wouldn’t have escaped.”

“Was the man you used to be with the one you saw tonight?”

Zelda nodded, tears falling from her eyelashes.

“I wasn’t expecting to see him.” Zelda sniffed. “We ended up in court after Hilda found out what was happening, and called the police to our home. They took pictures of the bruises I had, and looked over my medical history. He had a family doctor who he always made me go to after I was injured. This ‘doctor’ falsified reports, said that I was clumsy, or lost consciousness, that I fell a lot. The doctor got in trouble, and Faustus lost his position. I had a restraining order placed against him, and went to intensive doctor-ordered therapy.”

“I am _so_ sorry.” Mary continued to rub Zelda’s back.

“If Hilda hadn’t come over that day, and saw me with my black eye, I truly believe that he would have killed me.” Zelda looked down at her hands, played with the hem of her dress. “I would have been taken away without ever having the chance to meet you.”

“ _Oh_.” Mary couldn’t help herself, and pulled Zelda into her arms, and Zelda sank into her embrace. She barely had any tears left to cry, her face puffy and her nose congested. She heard Mary crying above her, and snuck her arms around Mary’s waist.

“I want you to know Zelda that you are worth more than anyone could ever imagine. Your value is immeasurable, and you did not deserve to be treated that way. Anyone, any _monster_ who thinks that they have the right to put their hands on you, to treat you like that does not deserve to see the light of day.” Mary looked down at Zelda, who was tucked against her side. “You are an _amazing_ , phenomenal woman, Zelda Spellman. You are incredibly strong and brave, you know that right?”

“Sometimes I don’t feel strong, or brave for that matter.”

“Well you are. I want you to remember that. You deserve the world, Zelda.”

Zelda lifted her head up and kissed Mary softly, before Mary leaned back onto the couch. Zelda silently laid her head on Mary’s chest.

“I feel safe with you, Mary. You make me feel good.”

“Good.” Mary ran her hand through the auburn tresses that laid across Zelda’s back. Zelda let her eyes drift close, completely wrapped up in the scent and feel of Mary. The feeling of Mary’s hands stroking her back started to pull her under, and she fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

When Zelda stirred, she didn’t recognize where she was. She sat up immediately, and noticed the sun coming through the curtains.

_Oh. I’m still at Mary’s house!_

Her hand went to her head. It felt fuzzy, and she felt like she had spent the night out partying, drinking copious amounts of alcohol. She looked at the end table next to the couch, and saw that Mary had written a note.

 

_Zelda_

_Good morning! I hope you slept well. Sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up. I had to get up to call Hilda last night, to let her know where you were. I didn’t want to wake you, or make you drive home when you were sleeping so peacefully. I just ran to the farmer’s market to grab some fresh fruit. Hopefully you’ll stick around for some breakfast. If not, that’s okay too. I’ve placed a towel, washcloth, and extra toothbrush for you in the bathroom, in case you wanted a shower. Make yourself at home, I should be back shortly._

_Mary_

_xx_

 

Zelda stood up and stretched, yawning as she reached her arms outwards. She looked around Mary’s living room, and started to walk around, looking at all of the odds and ends. Mary had her college degree framed and it hung on the wall above her tallest bookcase.

_Mary Elizabeth Wardwell, huh?_

Zelda smiled to herself, as she started to look over the book titles again. She noticed a book that had no title on the spine. When she opened it to flip through, she flushed a bit, as it was an art book filled with various pictures of nude women. They were in a variety of poses, some knitting, holding objects that signified domesticity. One of the images was of two women, completely nude, lying on their bed, side by side. The picture was taken from above, and one woman had her hands behind her head, and the other had her hands folded across her stomach. Zelda chuckled, and shut the book, slipping it back on the shelf. She saw Mary's section for classic literature, walked past spines that had familiar names printed on them. She continued to walk around, and looked up at the clock on the wall.

_9:35. I’d better get that shower now, before Mary gets back._

Zelda went to the bathroom, and saw that a pair of yoga pants and a large t-shirt had been left for her alongside the towel. Tears filled her eyes again, and she thought about how she couldn’t wait to hug Mary when she got home.

_She is so hospitable, so thoughtful and sweet. I don’t deserve her…_

Zelda reached out to turn on the hot and cold water on the tub, and let her hands turn underneath the stream. After she had played with the two knobs until she found a desirable temperature, she stuck the stopper in letting the tub fill up. She took off her clothes from the night before, letting them drop to the floor, and climbed into the tub.

 

* * *

 

Mary came home while Zelda was in the tub, and started to make breakfast. She made Zelda some pancakes topped with strawberries and blueberries from the farmer’s market, as well as some scrambled eggs. The eggs too, were made with eggs from the farmer’s market, freshly gathered that morning. She sat the food on her small table, and made a place setting for both her and Zelda. She brought out a bottle of syrup, and a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice.

_Anything else I’m forgetting…? Flowers!_

Mary went to turn on some music, picking the classical station, and then ran to grab a vase for the flowers she had also bought at the market. She trimmed the stems, and filled up the vase with water, making sure the arrangement looked presentable before setting it on the dining room table. She went back into the kitchen and made herself some tea, standing to look out of the back window as she sipped at it.

 _I do hope Zelda is okay. I don’t want her to feel like we are rushing things after last night. But it also felt_ **_so_ ** _good to finally kiss her. I have wanted to do that for so long! And then that unsavory man had to come along...I can’t believe anyone would dare lay a hand on Zelda. How dare this ‘Faustus’. How dare he do this to the person I love--oh..._ ** _oh_** _...I think I am in love wi--_

“Mary?” Zelda’s raspy morning voice called out. Mary’s hand shook and she sat her mug down on the counter.

“I’m in the kitchen!”

Mary turned towards her counter and rested her hands on the edge as she took a few deep breaths.

_Everything is going to be okay. Everything is fine._

She turned to go back into her living room, grabbing her cup of tea on the way.

“Good morning!” Mary saw that Zelda was already sitting at the table, nibbling at a piece of strawberry.

“Hey” Zelda smiled. She was wearing the clothes Mary had left out for her, and her hair was damp and combed back from her face. She looked especially beautiful like this, Mary thought. Her pale skin still flushed a bit from the hot bath, her face completely devoid of makeup. Mary wanted to kiss her. She wondered if it would be too much first thing in the morning after last night. Their emotions were running quite high yesterday, and their kiss _could_ have been seen as a “heat of the moment” thing. There was one thing Mary was sure of, though: the way she felt when their lips finally touched.

“Are you gonna join me or what?” Zelda had a teasing grin on her face, and watched as a blush formed across Mary’s cheeks.

“Oh yes, of course.” Mary pulled out the chair next to Zelda’s, at the head of the small table, and sat down. She placed a few pancakes on her plate, and helped herself to some eggs. Zelda did the same, only she took smaller portions.

“So, are you feeling a bit better today?” Mary asked, before taking a small bite of food.

“I think so…”

“Here take some more” Mary pushed the plate of pancakes over towards Zelda.

“Thank you, but I think I had better stick with this for now. I was sick last night, when we got back. I don’t want to overdo it.”

“Are you okay now? Do you want to lie down? I have a guest bedroom—“

“It’s okay Mary,” Zelda loved the fact that Mary immediately was ready to take care of her.

“I just had some nerves, you know, old memories and stuff. I’ll be okay.” Zelda cut up her pancake, and drizzled a bit of syrup over the pieces.

“Okay. Well let me know if you aren’t feeling well. I can even drive you home if you need me to.”

“Thank you Mary. You know, I am actually kind of embarrassed about all of the crying and what not.” Zelda looked down, her face suddenly serious. “I’m usually not like that, having breakdowns and such.” Mary placed her hand over Zelda’s, which rested on the table. Zelda looked up shyly at Mary.

“You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, okay? You were hurting, and you needed a catharsis.” Mary lifted up Zelda’s hand to kiss the back of it before returning their hands to the table. “You are always safe with me, you know that.”

Zelda beamed, and looked back down at her plate, fork moving the pieces of fruit back and forth through the syrup that had pooled underneath the pancakes.

“I really appreciate you for all of this, Mary.” Zelda turned Mary’s hand over in her palm nervously as she talked. She suddenly placed a long kiss to Mary’s palm, her eyes fluttering closed. When she ended the kiss and opened her eyes again, they were a bit wet. She gently sat Mary’s hand back down on the table.

“It is no trouble, Zelda. I adore having you here. I actually have wanted to ask you over for a while, but I was scared.” Now it was Mary who was a bit embarrassed.  

“Why  would you be scared to ask me over? We’re friends, right?”

“Yes” Mary smiled, butterflies fluttering in her stomach.  _Oh boy. This is it. Here goes nothing._

“But surely you know by now that I see you as more than a friend, Zelda.” Mary’s heart pounded, and she tried to gauge Zelda for any signs of how she felt. Had she revealed too much too soon? Zelda simply put her fork down, and turned to look at Mary. She licked her lips nervously, and her hands shook.

“I am actually really glad that you said that...because…” Zelda blushed, “I...I feel the same way.” She immediately looked down, tears forming in her eyes. She didn’t look up, she hadn’t been in a situation like this before, boldly admitting her feelings for someone. It _scared_ Zelda, being vulnerable like this. She could hear the blood rushing in her head, and didn’t know what to say. Mary’s chair scraped across the floor, and when Zelda looked up Mary was reaching out towards her, blue eyes focused on her. She gently tilted Zelda’s chin up, and leaned in, slowly pressing her mouth to Zelda’s. Zelda let her arms slide around Mary, and she pulled her to her as the kiss deepened, their tongues sliding against each other. Mary sighed into the kiss, and Zelda thought it was the most sensual sound she had ever heard. She slid a hand up into Mary’s hair, fingers reaching to pull out her ponytail. Mary pulled back and pulled it out herself, tossing her head gently from side to side as the long brown locks fell over her shoulders. Zelda felt the air leave her lungs, and she leaned forward, pulling Mary back to her again as she claimed her lips in another kiss. She slid her hand back into Mary’s hair, and cupped the back of her head. It was Mary who pulled back, a bit lightheaded. She licked her lips as caught her breath. Zelda watched her, love written in her eyes.

“You’re really good at that, you know?” Mary said, putting on an air of flirtiness.

“Good at what, hm?” Zelda placed her hand on Mary’s cheek, and studied the blushing woman before her. Mary swallowed, blinked rapidly.

“Kissing. You make me feel like I am flying.” Mary’s blush deepened as Zelda stroked her face. “It’s silly, I know.”

“No it’s not. I feel exactly the same way every time I am with you.” She leaned in to place a quick peck against Mary’s lips. “You are so dear, Mary.” She snuck in another quick peck, and moved to kiss Mary on the cheek. “I would kiss you all day if I could.”

“I may just take you up on that offer sometime…” Mary’s words died in her throat as Zelda leaned in to kiss her again. They eventually forced themselves apart, as they didn’t know if they would be able to stop themselves if they went any further. Zelda helped Mary clean up their breakfast, and Mary packed some pancakes and fresh fruit into a container for Zelda. Zelda had gone to gather her dress, coat, and shoes from the night before. She had looked down at her bare feet comically when she realized she didn’t have any other shoes aside from her heels. Mary gave her some flip-flops to wear on the drive home. When they said goodbye, they stood on Mary’s porch kissing for a while, arms wrapped around each other.

“Thank you again, for _everything_.” Zelda said, letting her tongue dart out to flick across Mary’s lips. Mary’s knees got a bit weak, and she slumped forward against Zelda, who tightened her arms around her. They started kissing again, enjoying the feeling of finally being able to enjoy each other like this, uninterrupted.

“You’re welcome” Mary breathed out in a rush when Zelda had started to place tiny kisses behind her ear.

“So I’ll see you sometime this week I imagine? Maybe for another massage, maybe dinner?”

“Mmn yes, definitely.” Mary nodded heart fluttering at the sight of Zelda’s pink cheeks and swollen lips. Zelda placed one last kiss against Mary’s lips before turning to leave. She blew Mary a kiss before she got into the car to drive away. Mary pretended to catch it, and blew her own back to Zelda in return. She watched as Zelda’s car disappeared down the road before going back inside of her house. She collapsed onto the couch with a huge grin across her face.

Zelda couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she drove home, and didn’t even notice the drive go by. All she could think about was the feel of Mary’s body in her arms as they kissed, the feeling of her breasts pressed against her own, the way she fit perfectly against her. Zelda felt a rush of wetness between her legs as she remembered the taste of Mary’s mouth. She already missed her. She laughed when she remembered that she was wearing Mary’s clothes. She truly had been on the roller coaster of emotions in less than a 24-hour period. She had gone from happiness, to fear and sadness, only to be comforted again by Mary, the one person she wanted more than anything in life.

_I’ll definitely be working on the homework from Dr. Keane this week…._

When she pulled back in front of her house, she took a deep breath as she parked her car. Her family would definitely tease her about staying overnight at Mary’s house on only their second date. She knew she wouldn’t be able to hide the smile across her face either once they started asking her about her date. She gathered her things up and went into the house.

Zelda went upstairs to do something with her now frizzy air-dried hair. She went into her bathroom and wet her hands, running them over the top of her head before pulling her hair up into a messy bun. She couldn't help but think about Mary's hair as she ran her hands through it when they had kissed earlier. She reached out to grip the counter as she pictured Mary’s face right before their lips met at her kitchen table. Her lips on hers, her tongue in her mouth. She looked down at the t-shirt and yoga pants she was wearing, Mary’s clothes, and smelled the shirt. She wanted to breathe in the smell of her house, her laundry detergent, any traces of her.

Zelda felt buoyant as she floated back down the hallway to her bedroom. She walked over to her nightstand and pulled out her old journal. She would have plenty to talk about, after all that happened. She had worried initially that she wouldn’t be able to do the homework from Dr. Keane. Now she found herself itching to write, the emotions ready to spill out of her. She found a pen and sat down on her bed, writing in explicit detail everything that transpired in the last 24 hours, and made sure she was honest about her emotions. Dr. Keane had mentioned to her during her first initial visits that it was important to be completely honest with herself when journaling, to not censor herself, to admit everything. It did end up working for her, last time. She was able to discover that she felt it was her fault that Faustus hit her, because she felt like she wasn’t young enough, wasn’t pretty enough for him. She had always been a self-assured person, but there was just something about Faustus. He knew how to find her weak spots and manipulate them. The little comments he made here and there increased as their relationship progressed, and then he started to get physical. Zelda paused, looking up and rolling her neck. She had just written about Mary taking her home from their date, how she was scared but felt safe with Mary, how she wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to come to her rescue. She of course also mentioned the old woman, Anne, and made a mental note to herself to try to send her a thank you note.

Zelda continued to write, and was just finishing up writing about her kisses with Mary on the front porch when she heard a soft knock at her door.

“Zelds? You in there?” Hilda poked her face into the room when she didn’t receive an answer from Zelda. She walked over to where Zelda sat on her bed, cross-legged, looking quite casual.

“How are you feeling? Mary called and told me what happened.”

“Well, I think I’ve felt the whole spectrum of human emotion in the last twenty-four hours,” Zelda said with a chuckle. “I’m actually a bit tired, but I did have some really good moments despite the one negative one last night.”

“Was it... _him_?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh _Zelda_ . I’m _so_ sorry!”

Zelda looked away and then back at Hilda.

“It’s okay, Hilda. I think I am going to be okay. Besides, I have Mary by my side, now…” Zelda couldn’t hide her grin, the smile growing larger as Hilda squealed.

“Oh my goodness! You two kissed, didn’t you? I _knew_ it would happen!! I just knew it!! Oh Zelda, this is wonderful!”

“Ssh, Hilda, you don’t have to announce it to the entire household.”

“Did you two also...uh, you know, have…”

“Sex Hilda, you can say it. S-E-X. See? I said it.” Hilda rolled her eyes at Zelda.

“Ooohkay, did you have--did you do that stuff?” Hilda asked again, still not able to say it.

“For your information, no. We did have a lovely time kissing and talking. I won’t say what we talked about, but it was...nice. It felt like I was supposed to be there. Everything seemed very natural.”

“Oh Zelda this is the best news!” Hilda said as she  wiped away a few tears from her eyes. “I am _so_ so happy for you Zelda. It’s like you two were made for each other.” Hilda reached out to squeeze Zelda’s hand. Zelda squeezed it in response, getting a little weepy herself.

“Thank you Hildie” Zelda slowly released Hilda’s hand before turning to put her journal back on the nightstand. As if on cue, her stomach started growling.

“Ah, it seems it is time for lunch.”

“Well, you came home just in time. I just came up here to tell you I had made something, and was going to ask if you wanted some.”

“Perfect. I’ll be right down.”

Zelda watched as Hilda exited the room, and slid off of her bed. She flipped open her journal to where she had left off, and quickly scribbled:

_Well, it’s real now. Mary and I are doing this for real._

She closed her journal and went downstairs, smiling the entire way down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The morning after their date was really fun to write. I wish I were getting the air kissed out of me haha!!
> 
> Thank you all again for reading and commenting. I read every single comment! 
> 
> Also, you all are invited to my funeral. Cause of death? Michelle Gomez being Michelle Gomez. I swear that woman wants us all dead!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revelations are made over dinner, and Zelda visits her therapist again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Cards Against Humanity, and merely referenced them here because it is a fun game to play.

Zelda spent most of Saturday feeling so full of love for Mary that she forgot about the whole trauma of seeing Faustus. When she had gone downstairs for lunch, Sabrina and Ambrose kept looking at each other, smiling and then looking back at their plates. Hilda too, couldn’t contain her joy. Eventually Zelda blurted out “What is everyone so happy about?!” 

“We’re really happy for you, Auntie,” Ambrose said from around a mouthful of salad.

“We are, Aunt Zee. We’ve not seen you this happy in...a really long time. It’s nice.”

Zelda looked down at her plate, trying and failing to hide her smile. 

“How was it? It must have been good if you spent the night!

“Sabrina! That is your aunt’s business!” Hilda chided.

“It’s fine. I just, uh…” Zelda wiped her mouth with her napkin, before taking a sip of water. “I just slept, that’s all. Nothing else happened.” 

“Alright Auntie. If you say so.” 

“Ambrose, careful now.” Hilda warned.

“It’s fine, Hilda.” Zelda replied, blushing.

“Really?” Hilda looked shocked, mouth opening and closing like a fish as she stopped her fork halfway to her mouth.

“Yes. I mean, they are going to find out soon enough anyways, right?”

“Well, I suppose so.” Hilda laughed nervously, and Zelda stood up to excuse herself from the table.

Ambrose, Sabrina, and Hilda watched as Zelda disappeared from the room, and waited until they heard her footsteps on the stairs before they spoke again.

“Auntie we really didn’t mean any disrespect.” Sabrina said, getting up from the table.

“I know love, I know. But your aunt has been through a lot. You know she’s been hurt, and she finally has love in her life again. I want her to be able to have this new experience without feeling like she has to hide, or that we are making fun of her. She deserves this.”

Sabrina’s eyes began to water, and Ambrose looked solemnly at the sandwich crusts that sat on the plate in front of him. They both remembered the night Hilda brought Zelda back home, broken and bruised. She was shaking under a blanket, and couldn’t even look at Sabrina or Ambrose. Hilda quietly commanded them to get tea, bring her cigarettes, and then leave so the two of them could be alone. Sabrina would never forget watching from around the corner as Hilda held Zelda as she wailed, clutching at her midsection. She would never forget the sound of her aunt’s cries, so unlike her usual strong, stern self. 

“I hope Aunt Zelda didn’t think we were laughing at her” Ambrose mumbled. 

“I’ll go and check on her.” Sabrina left the room, wiping her eyes. Sabrina left the kitchen to the sounds of Ambrose gathering their dirty dishes. When she got to Zelda’s room, though, she heard her aunt talking on the phone. She sounded like she was _giggling?_ Sabrina quickly crept back away from Zelda’s bedroom door, and quietly made her way back downstairs.

“Is she okay?” Hilda asked, surprised to see Sabrina back downstairs so soon.

“I think she was talking on the phone with someone. I heard her giggling, which was kind of weird.”

“Your Aunt Zelda is in love, Sabrina. You know we do funny things when we are in love.”

“You’re right. I’m just glad she’s happy.”

“Me too.”   


* * *

 

Zelda paced back and forth near the front door. She had checked her makeup, brushed her teeth, made sure she looked presentable. Hilda had told her that morning that she had invited Dr. Cee as well as Mary over for a Sunday evening dinner. Zelda had panicked, not knowing further in advance. Hilda calmed her down, told her that it was going to be casual, to not worry about it too much. Zelda rushed to put something presentable on--a royal blue silk blouse tucked into dark grey high-waisted pants--and was waiting for Mary to arrive. She had smoked several cigarettes earlier, but nothing was working to calm her down. She twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers as she paced

_I literally just saw Mary yesterday morning. A little over twenty-four hours ago, and here I am falling apart like this. Breathe Spellman, breathe._

Zelda continued to pace, and then ran over to the window to look out of it, hands pressed to the glass like a small child. Dr. Cee stood back in the doorway between the kitchen and dining room area and whispered to Hilda over his shoulder.

“Wow. I’ve never seen her like this before. She must really like this lady.”

“If only you knew. Zelda is completely head over _heels_ for Mary! _None_ of us have seen her like this before. It is sweet, though, watching her in love.”

“I do love watching people in love.” Cee moved behind Hilda to slip his arms around her waist. She turned to look back up at him, and he kissed her. “You are divine, Hilda.”

“Lance stop it! We are having company!” Hilda whispered.

“We won’t have company all night, though.” Cee waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Hilda lightly swatted him with the dishtowel she had been holding. 

Zelda was completely oblivious to what was going on in the dining room just behind her, and was focused on Mary’s car driving down to park in front of her house. She immediately shut the curtain, and turned around, trying to breathe as though she wasn’t just staring out the window, waiting for Mary to arrive. 

_Breathe in, and out. In, and out. In, and out._

Zelda let her eyes drift shut as she imagined a feather, and each breath she exhaled would lift the feather slowly. She remembered working on this particular breathing exercise with Dr. Keane, when she first started sessions with her. She found that it helped her immensely if she caught herself before she gave into the panic. Zelda kept breathing, and felt a little better. She heard a knock at the door, and her heart lurched, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She immediately opened the door, and smiled as she saw Mary’s smiling face on the other side. She was holding a pie in her hands, and she looked lovely. Her hair was up, displaying her gorgeous neck, her bangs curled up and pinned just above her temples. She had her glasses on, and was wearing a her black coat. She had a grey sweater on over a forest green shirt, the collar peeking up over the top of her sweater. 

“Hey” Zelda said softly, a slow, seductive smile forming across her face. Her hands fidgeted nervously. She wanted to take Mary into her arms and kiss her, but her family was right nearby.

“Wow. You’re _gorgeous_.” Mary gushed, blue eyes wide. “How are you?”

Zelda blushed, her cheeks turning a bright red. She laughed nervously as she made eye contact. 

“Better now that you’re here.” 

“You look so beautiful when you blush, you know that?”

“I don’t know about that. I probably look more like a tomato, or a--”

“Stop it. You are beautiful, Zelda, in any state.”

Zelda couldn’t hide her smile and opened the door wider. She gestured for her to enter, and Mary stepped over the threshold into the Spellman house. Instead of walking past Zelda, she stopped right next to her, and placed a kiss to the corner of her mouth before walking into the house. Zelda’s eyes fluttered closed, and she had to collect herself. Her mouth had gone dry and it was suddenly too hot, despite the cool breeze that blew in from outside.

“You gonna stand there all day with the door open?” 

Zelda jumped as she turned around, Mary startling her. She had an apologetic smile on her face and rested a hand on Zelda’s arm.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“It’s fine, I was just...taking a moment.”

“Would you mind taking a moment with me, just for a few seconds, before dinner? I didn’t get to say hello to you properly.” Mary winked at Zelda as she stepped outside, and Zelda was sure the entire house could hear her pulse. She simply nodded, closing the door behind her. 

Mary drew her away from the door, and over to where some chairs sat on the porch. She took both of Zelda’s hands in her own, and leaned in to kiss her. All of Zelda’s worries seemed to melt away at the touch of Mary’s lips, and she slid her hands around her waist, anchoring herself. Mary let out soft, happy sighs as Zelda’s mouth moved against hers, and Zelda thought it was the most erotic yet adorable thing she had ever heard. When they pulled apart, Zelda rested her forehead against Mary’s while she caught her breath. When she looked at Mary, she saw some of her lipstick had smeared around the woman’s mouth. Zelda wiped it away, and found herself wanting to taste the delicate mouth once more. She let her hand cup Mary’s chin, and she leaned back in again, unable to help herself. She just had to get another taste. She was like an addict, and Mary her drug. Zelda could feel Mary’s hands snaking up into her hair, and she shivered under her touch, her body feeling like it was on fire. She felt Mary’s tongue flit across the seam of her mouth, and she gladly let her in, the kiss deepening. Zelda too had started to moan, and she could feel sweat prickling on her chest.

“Mmn, Mary. We have to stop. Or I might not make it back inside.”

“I think you’re right” Mary said with a smile, wiping at her mouth.

“I’m sorry. You are just so delicious. I can’t help myself.”

Mary blushed under Zelda’s gaze, and kissed Zelda quickly with a smacking noise.

“Well, I would say that you can keep going, but dinner is probably going to start soon, and I don’t want Hilda or someone coming out here looking for us.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Let’s head back in.” Zelda took Mary’s hand in hers, and gently pulled her behind her as she walked back into the house. When they stepped back through the doorway, everyone was milling around the dining room table, not seated yet. They just silently made their way over to the table, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. 

“Miss Wardwell! How are you?” Sabrina bounced over to greet Mary, the teenager slipping her arms around the woman. Zelda made herself busy, quickly moving into the kitchen, a blush deepening across her face and down her neck.

“Hi Sabrina. It’s good to see you again.” Mary wasn’t expecting a hug, but it made her feel good, like she was where she belonged. 

“Miss Wardwell, nice to meet you properly.” Mary turned to see Ambrose standing with his hand outstretched. She took his and shook it.

“Wow your aunt has told me so much about you, about you both. It’s so nice to finally meet you! And not just in passing!”

“It’s great to meet you too, Miss Wardwell.” Ambrose replied.

“You can call me Mary, it’s fine.”  

Mary picked a spot at the table, and Ambrose sat across from her, Sabrina at the end, to her left. Hilda and Dr. Cee were fussing over something, and she swatted at him lightly before Cee sat down, giving into Hilda. He sat next to Ambrose, and kept his eyes on Hilda, winking at her when she caught his eye. 

“So, Mary, tell me about yourself.” Sabrina started, smiling.

Mary began to give Sabrina a brief introduction, starting with her background in history, and how she ended up becoming a massage therapist. They talked for about 5 minutes before Hilda came back out from the kitchen and announced that dinner was ready. Mary looked back towards the kitchen, and noticed that Zelda hadn’t come back out yet. Everyone was still moving things around at the table, and Mary snuck away from the table and walked into the kitchen. She found Zelda  with a hand up to her forehead, her eyes closed.

“Zelda? Are you okay?” Mary walked over to Zelda and placed her hands on either side of her waist. Zelda let her hand fall to her sides, and bit her bottom lip.

“I, I just got a bit nervous, and I don’t know why.” Zelda’s voice was lower, quieter.

Mary pulled Zelda to her, and ran her hands up and down her sides.

“Hey it’s okay. Everything is going to be fine, and we’re going to have a great dinner, okay?”

Zelda nodded, bringing her hands up to rest on Mary’s shoulders.

“You’ve got this,” Mary said, before kissing Zelda softly. Zelda smiled under the brief kiss, before squaring her shoulders with a determined look on her face.

“Okay. Let’s go.” 

 

* * *

 

Dinner was an uneventful affair. Everyone got along well, Sabrina and Ambrose keeping Cee and Mary quite entertained with stories and jokes. Zelda had been unusually quiet throughout most of the dinner, only speaking when a question was asked of her, and barely laughing at the jokes that were made. Mary had glanced over at her every now and then to see how she was doing, and Zelda would either force a smile before taking a gulp of her wine, or mouth _I’m okay_ . When they had moved onto dessert, Mary’s pie was a winner. Even Hilda, who could decipher the ingredients in any food item, was left puzzled. Mary told them it was an old family recipe that had been passed down for generations, and that she had simply perfected it. Zelda smiled as she watched the way Mary beamed while talking about her family. She remembered what they had talked about on their picnic a few weeks earlier, how Mary didn’t have any family, how she was pretty much alone in the world now. _You’re not alone anymore,_ Zelda thought. She looked around the table at her family, the way they sat rapt with attention, invested in what Mary had to say. 

_She is quite the charmer, though I may be biased…_

Zelda blushed as she thought about Mary’s lips beneath hers, how she had drawn moans out of her. She felt the back of her neck get hot, and she reached for her water, drinking the entire glass quickly, trying to think of anything else. Luckily, there was a lull in the conversation, and Sabrina suggested that they all moved to the family room for some games. Dr. Cee really seemed to enjoy that idea, and Ambrose was already up grabbing some game boxes he had brought downstairs earlier that afternoon. Everyone slowly migrated to the family room, and Zelda lingered, getting up slowly after everyone else had already left. Mary stood and looked at Zelda, who still seemed a bit off. 

“How are you holding up?” Mary took Zelda’s hand in hers.

“I’ll be right back. I need a cigarette.” Zelda seemed uneasy, like she was going to jump out of her own skin. She gave Mary a quick smile and then disappeared. No one seemed to mind or notice Zelda’s disappearance. Mary went to the kitchen, where Hilda was making tea for everyone to have while they played games. 

“Is Zelda okay?”

“Sometimes she gets like this. Usually when she is nervous about something. I imagine the surprise ending of your date the other night has something to do with it? We usually just give her her space.”

“Hm…” Mary looked towards the front door, and then back at Sabrina, Dr. Cee, and Ambrose, making themselves comfortable by the fire. Ambrose was dealing out cards from a black box that had white letters that read _Cards Against Humanity_ on the side. Mary went over to join them and covered her mouth when she read what was on some of the cards. Ambrose gave a quick explanation of the game, and they started to play. Mary had never giggled and blushed so much in one sitting. She couldn’t believe the naughty things written on the cards. The phrases they each made up with their individual cards made her laugh so hard that she cried, and her tea came out of her nose. They all laughed, Hilda doubled over, Sabrina rolling back and forth on the floor, Ambrose chuckling silently, and Cee with his head in his hands. Mary excused herself to the restroom to blow her nose. She wiped her nose, wiped the tears of laughter away from her eyes, and made sure her hair was still in place. On the way back from the bathroom, she noticed that Zelda still hadn’t returned. Concern started to settle in, and she slipped outside, onto the front porch. 

“Zelda?”

Mary stood underneath the porch light, and looked over into the darkness. She could see the glow of Zelda’s cigarette, and saw her sitting in the deck chair, her legs tucked up underneath her. She only heard a sniffle in response. Mary walked over and leaned on the porch banister in front of Zelda.

“You feeling a bit better sweetheart?”

“Not really.” Zelda whispered, putting out her cigarette in the ashtray. She looked up at Mary and wiped her eyes. “I...I know that everything is fine, that we are okay, that we are _safe_ , but I can’t help but think that Faustus is going to come along and ruin something.” Zelda looked away into the darkness. “It’s foolish, I know--”

“No, it isn’t Zelda.” Mary moved to crouch next to the chair, looking up at Zelda. “Sometimes things can be going great, and suddenly feel anxious for seemingly no reason at all. It happens. You had a pretty stressful evening on Friday, and it makes sense that you would still be upset about it.” 

“It is completely irrational, and maybe I am a bit paranoid, but I finally have this one, beautiful thing in my life, and _he_ has to show up again.” A sob bubbled up out of Zelda, and she choked it back down. “I just...I don’t want him to hurt you, Mary…” 

“Oh Zelda. My sweet Zelda. Come here” Mary stood up, and pulled Zelda to stand up as well. She took her face between her hands, and looked at her. “I am not going _anywhere_. You don’t have to worry. He is not going to hurt me, or you. I won’t let him.” 

Zelda nodded in response, unable to find her voice just yet. Mary brushed her thumbs over Zelda’s cheeks, wiping away the remnants of the tears that had started to dry there. Zelda swallowed, and licked her lips.

“I...you know...I…” Zelda screwed her eyes shut, and Mary brushed her thumbs over Zelda’s cheeks once more.

“Take your time, it’s okay. I’m right here.” Mary’s voice reassured her, the soft, melodic timbre soothing her worries.

“Mary...I, I know we’ve been friends for a while, and it just feels _so_ damned good to be with you like this. I thought for a long time that you wouldn’t want me...because of my past. I felt like you would think I was weak for staying with Faustus when he treated me the way he did...I felt so small and stupid, and really tried to hide my feelings for you. I was afraid that you wouldn’t feel the same way…” Zelda’s voice broke and her tears started to fall once more. 

“Zelda. Don’t you know? I _love_ you. I am _in_ love with you. Completely. I think I have been, since I gave you that massage here at the house. You are the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me.” Zelda tried to turn her head out of Mary’s grasp, anxiety telling her to run, as she barely held back her sobs. Mary kept her still, hands gentle on her trembling jaw. Zelda’s hands began to shake, and she clenched them at her sides, willing herself to calm down. Mary brushed her thumbs back and forth over Zelda’s cheeks once more, tears forming in her eyes as well. 

“Do you really?” Zelda forced herself to look at Mary, eyes shining in the darkness. 

“Yes, Zelda. God yes. Just being in the same room as you steals the oxygen out of my lungs. I don’t know how I got through so many massage sessions with you, when all I really wanted to do was kiss--” Zelda cut Mary off by pressing her lips to hers, backing her up against the banister. Zelda hungrily kissed Mary, slipping her hands up to rest underneath Mary’s elbows as she pressed her body to hers.

“That is good to hear, because I love you too, Mary.” Zelda spoke into the heated air between them. She reached up to tuck a tendril of dark brown hair behind one of Mary’s prominent ears.

“Do you remember what I told you on Friday night Zelda? That you are incredibly brave and strong? I meant it. You are brave, strong, beautiful, and I love you.” Mary laughed and brought a hand up to cover her mouth, a look of glee on her face. “I never would have expected that tonight would end with me confessing my love for you like this...though I’m not sure how much longer I could’ve kept silent.”  In the moonlight, Mary could see the tears on Zelda’s cheeks. 

“Well, I’m glad you did tell me” Zelda replied. “I was trying to figure out how I would tell you myself.”

“Is that so?” Mary quipped, looking up at Zelda in the darkness. Zelda leaned forward again so that their lips were almost touching. She whispered against them.

“Yes, it is.” Zelda closed the distance, a hairsbreadth between them, and sank into another kiss. Zelda let her tongue move sensually against Mary’s this time, indulging in the taste. She could hear the brunette’s breath coming faster and faster, and it was Mary who pulled back, not Zelda. She smiled as she wiped her mouth, and placed a hand up to her chest, willing her heart to slow down.

“I wish I could kiss you all night, Zelda, but I don’t even think I can walk right now, let alone breathe!” 

“Let’s stay out here for a spell and cool off.” 

“Okay.” Mary turned around to look out into the night, head tilted towards the sky. She took a deep breath, and sighed. Zelda pulled her back towards her a bit, and slipped her arms around her waist. It felt so natural to be there, like that, just the two of them. Having Mary in her arms just felt _right_. Zelda placed a soft kiss behind Mary’s ear, and breathed in her scent. She gently rocked the brunette back and forth in her arms, and Mary’s own hands came to rest on top of Zelda’s arms. They stood there in the stillness of the night, enjoying each other in that moment. Zelda let her eyes close and was about to start kissing the side of Mary’s head when the front door opened. She jumped a bit, but didn’t let go of Mary, simply just turned her head to see who had intruded on their private moment. Ambrose walked out, not really sure where to look.

“So, uh, Auntie Hilda wanted me to come out and make sure that everything was okay, but it seems it is. I’m sorry to interrupt.” Ambrose turned around and quickly ran back inside the house.

“Should we go back in?” Zelda asked, leaning forward to look at Mary.

“Yeah. We can play a round of Cards Against Humanity. I think you’d really like that game.” 

The rest of the evening was filled with laughter, and by the end of the night Zelda had cried most of her makeup off from wiping the tears from her face. They played several rounds of the game, and Zelda had to ask them to stop when she noticed Mary yawning. She also felt tired herself, as the past few days had been emotionally taxing. She didn’t want Mary driving home alone when it was too late. The group eventually succumbed to their fatigue and Zelda’s requests, and packed up everything. Sabrina and Dr. Cee started to put the games away while Zelda cleared the table. Mary went to the kitchen, trying to make herself useful while Hilda cleaned her pie dish. Ambrose came up behind her, and tapped her on the shoulder

“Um, Miss Wardwell—Mary?” Mary turned around, a smile on her face.

“Yes Ambrose?” 

“Could I have a word?” He gestured back towards the dining room, away from where everyone else was.

“Certainly.” Mary was a bit puzzled, but followed Ambrose anyways. He walked into the dining room and leaned on one of the chairs. 

“So uh, I just wanted to say that we all really appreciate what you’ve been doing for Aunt Zelda. Not just the massages and stuff, but also for being a friend to her...for loving her.” 

“Oh Ambrose. That is so sweet of you to say.” He looked down, a demure grin on his face. “I’m the lucky one, you know, to have your aunt in my life.” 

“I think you are both lucky to have each other. You make her very happy, and we’ve seen a different side to her. She has had some pretty hard times, and it is nice to see her doing well, so uh, thank you for that.” 

Mary’s eyes began to tear up, and she tilted her back, blinking away her tears.

“Thank you Ambrose. That means a lot.” Ambrose nodded, and walked out of the room.

Mary wiped her eyes before going back into the kitchen, just as Hilda was drying off her dish.

“Well, it’s all ready to go. Thank you again for coming.” Hilda reached out her arms to embrace Mary, and Mary slipped her arms around her friend. 

“Thank you for having me. It is nice to be around a family again. It makes me feel included.”

“Oh love.” When Hilda pulled back, Mary saw that she had started to cry as well. “We loved having you here. Especially Zelda. You should come over more often.”

“I’d love that.” Mary felt her heart warm. “So I’ll see you around?”

“Oh definitely! You know I wouldn’t miss our lunch dates for anything!” Both women laughed, and Mary took the glass pie dish from Hilda’s outstretched hands. 

“Goodbye Dr. Cee! Bye Sabrina!” Mary called, waving across the room at Lance, who was reading the instructions to another game that they hadn’t played. Sabrina was listening intently as he read. 

“Bye Mary! Have a good night! Have a safe drive back home!” 

“Bye Miss Wardwell!! Hope to see you again soon!”

“Thank you! Hope to see you all again sometime!” Mary looked over at Zelda, who was waiting near the front door, twisting her hands nervously. She walked over to the front door and Zelda rushed to take the pie dish from her hands.

“I’ll hold it while you get your coat on.” Zelda smiled and then blushed, suddenly interested in the ridges on the glass dish in her hands. Mary put her coat on, took the dish from Zelda’s hands, and gently sat it down on the floor behind her. Zelda had a split second of confusion before she saw Mary moving towards her with outstretched arms. Zelda sunk into Mary’s embrace, never tiring of the feeling of being in her arms. Zelda rubbed her hands up and down Mary’s back, and pulled back to kiss her. 

“I love you,” she whispered as she broke the kiss. 

“I love you too. Call me?” 

“You bet. Drive safely.” Zelda gave Mary another kiss, holding onto the lapels of her coat before releasing her.

“Good night Mary.”

“Good night Zelda.” 

Zelda retreated to her room once Mary left, and got ready for bed. An hour or so later, as she lay staring at the ceiling in her darkened bedroom, Zelda replayed the events of the evening. She remembered the way she felt love for Mary wash over her again and again as she saw how naturally she fit into their family dynamic. She closed her eyes and thought of Mary in her arms, and fell asleep, feeling warm and loved. 

  


* * *

 

Later that week, Zelda found herself once again sitting in Dr. Keane’s office, waiting for her to appear. She had her journal with her this time, and had written down everything that had happened to her since her last visit. She heard Dr. Keane knock on the door, and she told her to come in.

“Hello Zelda, how are you doing today?” 

“Well, a lot has happened since we last saw each other.” Zelda blushed profusely, and was unable to hide her smile.

“Oh my. Well, judging by your reaction, I hope it was good stuff that happened.” Dr. Keane pulled her glasses off of the top of her head and put them on, readying her clipboard to write.

“So...you were right about Mary.” Zelda began.

“How so?” 

“Well, as it turns out, she does have feelings for me.” Zelda smiled as she spoke, 

“That’s wonderful Zelda! I am so happy for you!” 

“As it turns out, she is in love with me...and I am in love with her.” Zelda began to cry, hardly believing the words as they left her mouth. She hiccuped and covered her mouth, smiling as she cried.

“I’m sorry. I just...I’ve waited for this moment for so long, to be able to tell her how I feel, to hold her, to _kiss_ her...I just can’t believe it is all real.” Zelda grabbed some tissues from the nearest box and dabbed at her eyes. 

“Love can be a wonderful thing Zelda, and I’m happy that it seems you’ve met your match.” Zelda nodded, gasping a bit as she tried to get her sobs under control.

“I don’t think I would want to live another day without her…” Zelda’s eyes grew wide as she realized what she said. “Wow. I really am in love with her…” Zelda stared off into the distance, and worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

“What are you thinking?” Dr. Keane asked. Zelda looked over, a slight look of worry on her face.

”When we went on our date, this past Friday night, Faustus showed up.” Zelda swallowed past the lump that had formed in her throat.

“What? Zelda, he can’t be near you! Are you okay?”

“Yes…” Zelda’s throat was suddenly quite dry, and she found herself swallowing, trying to wet her throat. “He uh, he had one of his friends do him a favor, so that he would be able to enter Riverdale legally...and for as long as he pleases. He still can’t come into Greendale, though.”

“Zelda...I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Did he try to hurt you?”

Zelda flashed back to being pressed up against the wall at the concert, trapped beneath Faustus’s derisive sneer, hands on either side of her.

“He...he came up to me, just to see how I was doing, to mess with me, I suppose.” Zelda looked down at the crumpled tissue that was in her hand, and began to pick small pieces of it off, letting then fall into her lap

“I...I got scared, so I ran.” Zelda’s voice was so faint that Dr. Keane almost missed it.

“Where did you run to?”

“I left the concert. I went outside because I was having a panic attack, and I couldn’t stop it.”

“And what happened? How did you work through it?” Dr. Keane scribbled furiously on her clipboard.

_Mary happened…_

“Mary came and found me. She held me, told me it would be alright. She helped me calm down, and took me back to her place.”

“Hmmn. It seems like it was easier for you to deal with the panic attack this time because Mary was there.”

“Yes, it was. I haven’t had one this bad in a long time. It’s been years. It was nice to be able to fall into her embrace, to have her love there surrounding me.” A tear rolled down Zelda’s cheek, and she brushed it away. “I know I can’t always expect to fall into Mary’s arms every single time I have a panic attack, and that I’ll have to work through them on my own, but it’s nice to have someone there who cares and can help you through.” 

“Indeed it is.” Dr. Keane looked at the journal Zelda held on her lap. “I haven’t seen that journal in a while. Have you been putting it to good use?”

“Yes. I’ve actually been writing down everything—and I mean everything—that’s been going on, since Friday night.”

“Good. And you aren’t censoring yourself and you are being honest about your feelings?”

“As much as I can, yes.”

“Perfect.”

Zelda looked off again, this time looking over her shoulder and out the window. She started to bite her bottom lip again, and twiddled her thumbs.

“You know, everything is going so well with Mary, but there is a part of me that worries that Faustus will show up and do something to hurt Mary…I know it’s silly, but I can’t get rid of this small voice in the back of my mind that is telling me otherwise.”

“Mmn. These are perfectly normal fears, Zelda. What Faustus did to you...he made you question yourself at every turn. And not only that, he threatened your safety and practically controlled every aspect of your life. Now, even though you are in a much better situation, the old fears and insecurities that you have still are there. Being in a relationship means being vulnerable, and the last time you were vulnerable you got hurt.”

“Yeah.” Zelda wiped at her nose.

“Remember what I told you about baggage, Zelda? We all have it, regardless of how put together we may seem. What makes a difference is if we choose to acknowledge and deal with it, or not. So, eventually that large, oversized suitcase makes its way down to the size of a smaller suitcase, then a purse, and eventually a clutch, and then a pouch. It will always be with us, a part of us, but we _have_ to unpack it, and deal with it. I must say I am quite proud of the hard work you’ve been doing these past few weeks. I know it hasn’t been easy for you.”

“Well now I have a reason to want to be better, to be the best version of myself.” Zelda smiled, blushing again.

“I think that is wonderful. Hey, don’t lose sight of your personal growth goals for yourself this week, okay? Keep working at them—practicing the exercises I gave you, journaling—and I think we’ll try seeing each other in about two weeks instead of one?”

“Yes, yes, that works.” Zelda knew that she would eventually need to start spacing out her visits, as not to become too codependent.

“Okay great. Let’s get you scheduled up front and we’ll be good to go.” 

Dr. Keane stood up, and Zelda gathered up the pieces of tissue off of her lap and threw them away.

“Oh and Zelda? Congratulations again. You know, it isn’t everyday that we find that special someone.”

“Thank you Abby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you didn't see this chapter coming so soon, did you? Neither did I LOL. I hope you all enjoyed it. I have enjoyed writing this story, and I can see the end in sight. Probably will have a couple of chapters before things come to a close. Thank you all again for reading and commenting. I really appreciate it. 
> 
> Also, where does one go to bask in The Glow of the Otto? Asking for a friend ;-)


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A big thing happens.

Zelda spent the next two weeks busy with work, as spring break was upon them. College students were engaging in risky and often fatal behavior. It became quite draining to have to deal with so many young deaths, lives cut short before they even began. Of course, there were senior citizens here and there as well. But the young ones always took a toll on Zelda. Talking with Mary throughout the week helped keep her sane. They had only seen each other twice, briefly, since the dinner with the family. Mary recommended that they use technology to “see” each other when they couldn’t physically. She tried to cheer Zelda up throughout the week by sending her fun messages on Snapchat, which she had downloaded onto Zelda’s phone. Sometimes she would just send a cute message with a cat or teddy bear filter. Other times she would have Zelda doubled over with laughter by sending a message with a less flattering filter, often times with her face warped and her voice distorted. It kept Zelda going, the phone calls, snaps, and video calls. 

One Wednesday afternoon, Zelda was completely spent. She had just met with the parents of a deceased college student, and the mother was nearly inconsolable the entire time. Hilda had brought out tea, cookies—anything to try to distract the poor woman from one of the hardest meetings she would ever have to have in her life. The minute the family left, Zelda leaned her head back against the door, eyes shut. She could feel a tension headache starting, and tears were building up behind her eyelids.

_I need...I need Mary..._

Zelda went to the house phone, and dialed the number for Mary’s parlour. The phone rang several times, and Zelda pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to remain calm. The phone rang some more, and the answering machine came on. Zelda was about to hang up and text instead when Mary picked up the phone in the middle of the answering machine recording.

“Hi, sorry about that! This is Mary at _Healing Hands Massage_ speaking. How can I help you?”

Zelda felt several emotions go through her at once. Happiness at hearing Mary’s voice, but also an increasing need to be held.

“It’s me.” Her emotions were raw, nerves frayed.

“Zelda? What’s wrong?” Mary could immediately sense that something wasn’t right just by the tone of Zelda’s voice.

“I’m just having a hard day, that’s all.” Zelda twirled the phone cord around her finger as her tears sprang forth, and she tried to swallow them back down. 

“Oh sweetheart. I am so sorry.”

Zelda turned her face away from the receiver as she sniffed, her nose now running. She swallowed and cleared her throat before speaking again.

“Life is just...life is just too short…” Zelda’s voice went high-pitched and wobbled at the end of her sentence, and she started to cry, silently. Mary could hear her sniffling into the phone.

“Come to the parlour, Zelda. My afternoon is open. I want to hold you—I need to. I can’t stand not being there for you.”

Zelda let out a small whimper as she continued to cry. The sound broke Mary’s heart.

“But...but don’t you have clients to see?”

“I do but not until later, much later. Come over.”

“Oh—okay.” Zelda replied shakily. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Be safe on the road sweetie. I’ll be right here waiting for you.”

Zelda hung up the phone and went to get her purse. She mumbled a goodbye to Hilda, knowing she would start crying again if she had to explain where she was going.

“Say hi to Mary for me” Hilda had called out, already knowing where Zelda was headed. 

The drive to Mary’s was much quicker than usual, because most people were still at work. When she pulled up to the parlour, she felt her eyes brim with tears. She checked herself in the car mirror and let out a defeated sigh, not able to do much about how tired she looked. When she walked up to the front porch, she noticed that Mary had put up a sign with a small clock on it that said she would return in two and a half hours. Zelda opened the door and stepped inside.

“Zelda? Is that you?” Mary called out from the back. 

“Yeah it’s me.” Zelda’s voice was watery and thin, and she hated that she couldn’t keep it together, even if just for a few seconds. She walked towards the front desk, and clutched at her purse straps nervously. Her heart beat faster when Mary came around the corner, concern in her eyes. Zelda’s face crumpled before she even made it across the room. She dropped her purse as she started to cry. Mary rushed over quickly, arms outstretched, and embraced her. Zelda let out the sobs she had been holding in, her body shaking in the brunette’s arms, Mary rubbed her back, her other hand caressing the base of Zelda’s head.

“I’m ssssorry.” Zelda gulped. “It’s just not fair. Life can be so unfair! He didn’t even get to live his life! He was just getting started!” Zelda cried in a wet voice. 

“Oh my love. Shh, _shh._ I know, I know.”

“I face death every day, but some days it just gets to you.” Zelda’s voice was muffled, her face pressed into Mary’s shoulder. Mary kept stroking Zelda’s hair, and gently rocked her from side to side.

“Do you think we could sit down?” Zelda asked after a bit, turning to kiss the tip of Mary’s ear.

“Of course. As a matter of fact, I was just making some tea. Come with me to the back.”

Zelda bent down to grab her purse and let Mary take her by the hand, back to the part of the small house-turned-parlour she had never seen before. There was a small kitchen, a private bathroom with a shower, as well as another room that was Mary’s office. There was a comfy-looking couch with a blanket folded up on. Mary pulled her into the neat office, and Zelda sat down on the couch. 

“Take your shoes off, get comfortable if you like.”

Zelda silently obeyed, kicking her shoes off and tucking her legs up under her. She slipped her purse off and sat it down on the floor. Mary moved the pillows on the couch over, making room for Zelda. The tea kettle started to whistle from the other room, and Mary squeezed Zelda’s shoulder before turning to leave. Zelda rolled her shoulders, realizing just how tense she was. The headache she had started to feel back at the house was still there, tempting to fully make itself known. She rubbed her temples and sighed, trying to ignore the pain.

“Are you not feeling well?” Mary asked from the doorway. Zelda dropped her hands from her head.

“Just a little headache, that’s all.” Mary sat down their mugs on the desk and came to sit on the couch behind Zelda.

“How are your neck and shoulders?” She asked, brushing Zelda’s hair over her shoulder before sliding her hands up to rest on the soft skin. 

“Not good. I’ve been having muscle spasms all week from the stress.”

Mary leaned forward and kissed the base of Zelda’s neck. 

“Take your top off. Let me work on it for a bit.”

Zelda chuckled, and Mary paused, realizing what she had just said. 

“If you want to get me naked, all you have to dois ask,” Zelda said teasingly as she looked over her shoulder, biting her lip. Mary shook her head and leaned in to kiss her. 

“If I’m being honest, I would love to have you naked, some time—but not today. Right now I need to take care of you.” Zelda smiled to herself as she began to unbutton her blouse. Mary got up and took a sip of her tea before placing the other mug for Zelda on the end table. Zelda slipped her black silk blouse off of her shoulders, revealing pale, creamy flesh in the afternoon sun. All she wore now were her dress pants and a red lace bra. Mary had seen Zelda’s back and shoulders before—plenty of times, on her massage table. But this was different. They weren’t in a darkened room, and things had changed between them. Mary made a small noise from behind Zelda, and Zelda turned to look over her shoulder, auburn locks catching in the sunlight. Mary felt her knees shake, and she had to remind herself to breathe as she took in Zelda’s profile, the bridge of her nose, her lips, the dimple in her chin, the curve of her neck, her shoulders...

“What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing.” Mary sipped her tea and sat it down. “I was just—you’re just so pretty, that’s all.” Zelda watched as Mary licked her lips, tongue tracing over her Cupid’s bow. She felt a slight wetness between her legs. 

“Can I have another kiss before you start? You look good, and I’ve missed you.” Zelda quipped. Mary looked down at her black polo shirt and leggings and shrugged before moving to sit on the couch next to Zelda. Zelda turned slightly, so that she was facing Mary, their knees touching.

“You never have to ask for kisses, just so you know. Just say the word and I will gladly kiss you, any where, and any time you want.”

Zelda’s eyelids closed as Mary tilted her chin up and leaned in to kiss her, slowly. She let herself melt into Mary. Before Zelda knew what was happening, Mary had gently pushed her back to lie down on the couch. She crawled on top of Zelda, her lips never leaving the redhead’s beneath her. Zelda hooked her thighs behind Mary’s legs and groaned as Mary moved to kiss her neck. Puffs of air tickled Zelda’s neck, Mary’s breathing increasing in speed as she started to suck at the delicate skin. Her perfect mouth closed over a bit of the delicate flesh, then she gently bit down, before soothing the spot with her tongue.

“Oh. _Oohhh. Mary_ ... _fuck_.” Zelda swore under her breath, moaning as Mary teased her neck. Zelda was definitely wet now, and wanted nothing more than to take Mary right there, on the office couch. Mary kept nibbling at Zelda’s neck, tongue swirling over each tiny bite.

“ _Mary_ …fu— _ahhh_ ” Zelda breathed out. “Mary I’m going to embarrass myself if you don’t stop.” Zelda groaned, back arching. Her center felt like it was on fire, having Mary pressed up between her legs. 

“Mmn.” Mary finally took her mouth off of Zelda’s neck, and could already see the bruise starting to form. 

“Sorry. I got a bit carried away. It’s just, I have the most delectable girlfriend in all of Greendale, and I have been dying for a taste.” 

Zelda simply smirked, pulling Mary back down to her to kiss her again. When they broke the kiss, Mary rested her forehead against Zelda’s, a goofy grin across her face. Zelda slipped her hands down to squeeze Mary’s rear. 

_It would be so easy for her to just rut against me until we were both satisfied…_

Mary seemed to be reading Zelda’s mind, for she lifted her head up and gave Zelda a knowing look. 

“I _really_ want you.” Zelda said, eyes focused on Mary’s unblinking. She saw her own lust and need reflected in the limpid blue eyes that stared back at her.

“I know. I want you too.” Mary replied, her pupils blown wide. Zelda kissed her and pulled back to trace a finger over Mary’s swollen lips. Mary blushed and leaned forward to kiss Zelda again before pulling away to study Zelda’s face, enamoured by her. 

“Let me work on your shoulders now before all of our time together runs out.” Mary replied. She leaned back, moving to sit upright on the couch again. She fanned at herself, still worked up. Zelda sat up and yawned, covering her mouth.

“Have you been getting enough sleep lately?”

“Hardly.” Zelda wiped away her post-yawn tears and turned her back to Mary again, rolling her neck. Mary laid gentle hands against Zelda’s shoulders, and began to smooth her hands over the taut muscles. 

“That’s not good Zelda. You need your sleep.”

“I know—ouch!” Zelda winced as Mary’s thumbs pressed into a knot. 

“I’m sorry.” Mary leaned forward and kissed where her thumbs had been, before continuing to work at the tense muscles. 

“Things have been hard at work, these past few weeks. There have been too many deaths. It makes me want to hold onto Sabrina and Ambrose for as long as I can.” 

“I can’t imagine what it must be like for you, with your line of work and raising your niece and nephew. They’ve been with you and Hilda since they were both babies?”

“Sabrina, yes, Ambrose, no. Ambrose came to us when he was very young, around 7 or 8. His parents were distant Spellman relatives, and they passed away. He came before Sabrina did.”

“When did you get Sabrina?”

Zelda didn’t respond at first, and Mary couldn’t see the way her bottom lip trembled. 

“We…” Zelda cleared her throat and swallowed the tears that suddenly sprung up to choke her. Mary’s hands slowed down on Zelda’s shoulders, sensing something was wrong.

“Zelda?”

“I’m sorry. We uh, Sabrina came when...when her parents died, my brother Edward, and his wife Diana…” Zelda’s voice was wet, and she wiped her eyes.

_“Zelda_ ” Mary whispered. “I’m _so_ sorry.” 

“It’s okay. I normally am okay talking about it, but with our line of work, some days are just harder than others.”

Mary rubbed Zelda’s back, and scooted forward to slip her arms around her waist. Zelda slumped back against Mary, and closed her eyes. Mary buried her nose in Zelda’s hair, drawing in her scent. Zelda yawned again, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth.

“Do you think—“

“Yes Zelda?”

“Would it be okay if I just laid down for a bit?”

“Yes of course!” Mary stood up and gently guided Zelda to a lying position. She pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and laid it across Zelda, leaning forward to kiss her as she tucked it up under her chin.

“You just rest, okay? Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you Mary. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Mary smiled as she gave Zelda another kiss before standing up to leave the room. 

  


* * *

 

When Zelda woke up, three hours had passed, and she was disoriented. Her eyes opened, and she looked around the now dark room before remembering. 

_Oh...I think I might’ve slept through dinner!_

Zelda sat up and stretched, taking a moment to get her bearings. There was a warm glow coming from under the slightly ajar office door. She got up and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, walking over to open the door. Zelda stepped out into the kitchen area and looked around for any sign of activity. Mary’s muffled voice came from down the hall, and Zelda strained to hear what she was saying.

_“A few more sessions and you should be feeling back to normal, Mr. Johnson!”_

Mary’s voice grew louder, and Zelda heard a door close. Zelda stood in the middle of the kitchen, not really sure what to do, when Mary suddenly appeared around the corner.

“Zelda!” she held a hand up to her chest, and pushed her glasses up on her nose.

“Hey. Sorry to scare you.”

“It’s fine. I just finished up my last client and am going to wash my hands. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah.” As if on cue, Zelda yawned. “What time is it?” 

“It’s just after seven.”

“Oh no! I have to call Hilda!”

“It’s okay, Zelda. I told her you were sleeping.”

“Hmm. Thanks.” Zelda drew the blanket tighter around herself, and looked around. Her hair was a bit mussed from sleeping, and she still looked half-awake. Even then Mary thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

“Are you hungry? I ordered a pizza when you were sleeping, just before this last client came.”

Zelda’s stomach growled at the mention of food.

“I haven’t had pizza in _ages_. That sounds delicious.” 

“Let me just go wash my hands and get this customer taken care of and I’ll be right back.”

Zelda went back to the office, and turned on the lights. Mary had moved her purse from the floor to the end table, and had folded up her shirt. Zelda dug through her purse and pulled out her phone, unlocking it. She saw she had a message from Hilda.

_Hey Zelds. Mary just sent a message to let me know you were napping at her place. Don’t worry about getting back here. We’ll see you later. Have fun ;-)_

Zelda rolled her eyes and smiled at the last part of the message. She sent a quick reply before hearing Mary’s voice out in the hallway. It sounded like she was saying goodbye to someone. Suddenly Mary appeared at the office door with a box of pizza in one hand and a bottle of sparkling water in the other.

“Pizza’s here!” 

_God she is adorable…_

Zelda was certainly hungry for food, but she wanted Mary even more. Her mouth watered as she watched Mary bend over in her black leggings, setting the pizza down and dragging a second end table over in front of the couch. 

“Let me just go and get some cups and plates. I’ll be right back!”

Zelda smiled at Mary’s retreating form and leaned forward to open up the pizza box, her mouth watering. She almost couldn’t help herself, almost reached for one of the steaming slices when Mary came back into the room. Zelda quickly dropped lid back down with a guilty look on her face.

“Go ahead and eat, Zelda. You don’t have to wait for me.”

Mary sat a plate in front of Zelda, as well as a cup. Zelda pulled a slice of pizza out of the box, the cheese stringy, a few veggies falling off. She didn’t even put the slice down on her plate, and instead took a bite.

“ _Mmmn_. That is delicious.” Zelda held a hand up to cover her mouth as she chewed, letting her eyes close. Mary kept her eyes on her as she ate her own slice.

“This place is one of my favorite places in town.”

“What’s it called?”

“Giovanni’s. It’s just a few blocks down and around the corner from Dr. Cee’s.” 

“Hmmn. I feel like I’ve seen that place before.” Zelda reached for a second slice of pizza, and Mary held the box still while she pulled the slice away from the rest of the pie.

“You know, I haven’t had pizza in quite some time. Too busy worrying about my figure and what not. Silly stuff.” 

“It’s been a while for me too, you know. But when I do have it, I always get it from this place.”

“Sometimes you just have to have a pizza.”

“Yeah.” Mary smiled and finished up her slice. She too took a second one out of the box.

“Y’know, If it’s any consolation, Zelda, I think you have a beautiful body.” Mary blushed as Zelda made eye contact with her.

“Is that so?” Zelda smiled before taking another bite of her pizza.

“Yes. I want to run my hands all over you.”

“Well you kind of already have…” 

Mary burst out laughing, and Zelda tried to keep a straight face for as long as possible before she too started laughing. They laughed until they had tears in their eyes. Zelda loved the sound of Mary’s laughter, and she filed away the look on her blissful face to recall later, when she needed to cheer herself up.

“You are so beautiful, Mary.” 

Mary blushed and laughed again, covering her mouth. Zelda pulled Mary’s hand away from her mouth, and smiled when she saw the dimples in her cheeks.

“Look at you. Simply stunning.”

“Zelda,” Mary whined, “I’m not even dressed up or anything.” 

“You don’t have to be. I think you are always beautiful. Always.” Mary licked her lips, and put her pizza down. Zelda sat her plate down and watched as Mary finished chewing and swallowing. Zelda moved closer to Mary. She reached out to take Mary’s plate from her lap, and sat it on top of the closed pizza box.

“Zelda what—“

“Shh” Zelda whispered as her lips met Mary’s. She tilted her head to the side and felt Mary’s tongue flicking against her own. Their mouths danced with each other, an intimate game of give and take that left them both wanting.

“That was a lovely addition to dinner.” Mary quipped wiping her hands on a napkin. 

“There’s more where that came from. Just give me a quick second.” Zelda got up from the couch, still half-dressed and went into the bathroom. Mary took her glasses off and sat them down on the end table. She could hear the bathroom sink run briefly for a moment before stopping. Zelda stepped back into the office with a nervous smile on her face, and she sat down close to Mary. Mary took Zelda’s hands in her own, and kissed the backs of each. They smiled at each other as Zelda laced their fingers together, leaning forward to place her lips against Mary’s. Mary groaned into the kiss, as Zelda slid her hands up the back of her neck, and into her hair. She started to pull the pins that held her hair together out as they kissed, and Mary started to help her. She kept her eyes on Zelda the entire time, biting her bottom lip. Mary’s thick brown locks cascaded over her shoulder as she unpinned her hair, and Zelda swore she had never seen such a beautiful sight. 

“Wow.” Zelda gulped, before slipping her hands under Mary’s shirt, resting on her waist. She kissed Mary again, and her hands slid up further. Mary drew back, reaching in-between them to pull her shirt up and over her head, tossing it aside. She now lay before Zelda in her white cotton bra, and black leggings. Mary looked anxious as Zelda’s eyes traced over her.

“So beautiful” Zelda whispered. She brushed some of Mary’s hair back over her shoulder and leaned forward to kiss down the column of her neck, and across her chest.

“I want to kiss each *kiss* and every *kiss* freckle *kiss*.” Zelda placed soft kisses across Mary’s chest, and slid her hands up to Mary’s bra straps. 

“Can I take this off?”

Mary nodded, slightly lifting her arms so Zelda could reach the hooks on her bra. Zelda unhooked the bra, and her breath caught in her throat as she looked at Mary’s breasts, her small, tan colored nipples already stiff. Mary’s breath came at a dangerously fast rate, and it worried Zelda. She leaned in to kiss an angular cheekbone.

“Are you okay?”

The brunette nodded, licking her lips, still breathing rapidly.

“You don't have to be scared, Mary. Let me know if anything is too much and I’ll stop, right away.” Zelda cupped Mary’s cheek. Mary looked misty-eyed as she nodded again.

“Oh—okay.”

“I’m serious Mary. The moment you feel uncomfortable, let me know. All I want is for you to feel safe. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” Mary pulled Zelda closer, and placed a peck against her lips.

“I always feel safe with you, Zelda.”

Zelda couldn’t hide her smirk. She looked down at the freckled chest before her and caught Mary’s gaze as she slowly lowered her mouth to a nipple. Her lips parted slightly as she took the dusky bud into her mouth, and swiped her tongue over it. Mary hissed at the contact, fingers sinking into Zelda’s hair.

“Too much?” Zelda asked, Mary’s wet nipple slipping out of her mouth with a slight _pop_.

“Hardly enough, if you ask me.” Mary pulled Zelda’s head back down, and Zelda began to suck at her nipple once more. While Zelda teased one nipple with her mouth, her hand caressed Mary’s other breast. She spent time teasing the nipple before switching her mouth to the other, and Mary’s breath came faster again, the blood pounding in her ears. She moaned and writhed as Zelda suckled at her, the sensations overwhelming.

Zelda kissed her way down Mary’s sternum, and down her tummy. She let her tongue flick out into Mary’s belly button, which elicited a giggle from the woman beneath her. She smiled as she continued to kiss Mary’s waist, her mouth stopping at the edge of her black leggings. Zelda looked up at Mary again, her fingers hovering over the elastic waistband. Mary blinked rapidly before nodding at Zelda. 

Zelda’s own heart was beating quickly now, and she couldn’t quite believe that she was finally getting to see Mary like this. She slid her fingers underneath the waistband of Mary’s leggings, and began to pull them down and off of her, careful not to take her underwear off as well. She backed up to pull the leggings over Mary’s feet, and threw them behind her. 

“You’re still wearing too many clothes, Zelda” Mary jokingly chided.

“You’re right. I am.” Zelda stood up off the couch and unbuttoned her pants, shimmying and letting them slide down onto the floor. She then pulled off her stockings, and reached to unhook her bra. Mary’s breath came faster as Zelda took her bra off, revealing her breasts. Hard pink nipples graced the milky flesh of her breasts, and Mary wanted to touch them, taste them. Zelda stood looking down at Mary, whose eyes had widened with delight.

“That’s better” Mary muttered, sliding down into a lying position. “You are breathtaking, Zelda.” Zelda sat back down on the couch, resting her hands on top of Mary’s knees. Mary spread her legs apart, and Zelda flushed with arousal as she noticed a damp spot on her panties. She could feel Mary’s heated core pressing against her as she sought out her mouth again. Mary let out soft, sweet moans as Zelda continued to steal the air from her lungs, kissing her down into the couch. She shivered as Zelda’s nipples dragged across her skin.

Zelda felt shaky hands cup her breasts, and Mary ran her thumbs over her nipples. She groaned into Mary’s mouth, and could feel the other woman slowly start to grind her hips against hers, seeking the contact she so desperately needed. Zelda pulled back to look Mary in the eyes, and slipped an arm around her shoulders holding her up a bit. Mary opened her eyes, wet mouth still open and panting as Zelda released her lips.

“Let me know if you are uncomfortable at any time, okay? If you want me to stop, if it is too much—“

“Zelda. It’s okay. I want this. I want _you_ ” Mary cut Zelda off, a hopeful look on her face, blue eyes shining in the light of the office.

“Well good. Because I want you too.” Zelda leaned in to gently nibble Mary’s ear before whispering “I want you to feel good, Mary. _So_ good. You deserve it.” Mary shuddered, and Zelda sat upright, looking at the flushed woman beneath her. Zelda ran a hand down Mary’s sternum, down her stomach, and back up again, tracing over the column of her neck before slowly sliding it back down. Zelda enjoyed seeing Mary like this, needy and beautiful, raw and exposed. She felt privileged to even be with her at all. She never dreamed she would actually end up getting a happy ending.

“Zelda? Is something wrong?” Mary asked, looking concerned.

“No sweetheart. I was just...I really want this to be good for you, that’s all.” Zelda blinked away tears, 

“Don’t worry. It already is really good. You are everything I could have ever hoped for, and more.” Zelda wiped away her tears, and then looked down at Mary’s panties, the last piece of clothing she had on. Zelda’s fingertips traced the waistband, and she watched as Mary twitched, under her touch. 

“May I? Zelda asked, hardly breathing. Mary simply lifted her hips up off of the couch, and Zelda hooked her fingers underneath the waistband. Her breath caught several times as she gently slid them down Mary’s legs. When she got them completely off, she nearly started crying again. Mary lay before her, freckled, completely nude, with a look of lust on her face. 

“Oh Mary...you are _so_ beautiful…” Zelda’s voice caught in her throat. Mary turned her head to the side, looking a bit embarrassed. Zelda hovered over Mary, and tilted her chin so that she was looking back at her again. 

“I mean it, Mary.” Zelda’s face was serious, and her eyes looked between Mary’s lips and her eyes. She leaned in slowly to kiss her, this time letting her tongue trace back and forth over her Cupid’s bow before kissing her properly. Zelda slowly ran a hand down between them, resting it just below Mary’s belly. As they kissed, she slid her hand lower, through the fine hairs between her legs, and eventually brought her palm to rest against Mary’s damp center. 

“Mmmn” Zelda moaned as she broke the kiss to look at Mary. “You’re _soaked_.” Mary kept her eyes closed, and Zelda watched as her eyebrows raised, and she felt a bit more wetness rush out of to meet her hand.

“Is this okay? Let me know if you want me to stop.” Zelda asked, gathering some of the wetness on her fingertips and bringing them up to circle around Mary’s clit. 

“ _Please don’t stop.”_ Mary replied in a desperate whisper. Her hips bucked up off of the couch as Zelda worked her fingers around her. Zelda kissed across Mary’s jaw and came to rest her head by one of her ears, placing soft kisses there.

“Are you ready?” Whispered Zelda. 

“Yes.” Mary nodded, and Zelda kept her face pressed into Mary’s neck, kissing her.

“I love you” Zelda said softly, as she slipped two fingers inside of her, the wet warmth welcoming her. Mary was in heaven, experiencing bliss of another kind. She had waited _so_ long for this, had thought it was only a possibility in her dreams. Her back arched up off of the couch as Zelda began to move her fingers inside of Mary in a curling motion, slowly pressing against her g-spot. She whined and whimpered, moving her hips against Zelda’s hand.

_“More”_ , Mary whispered, her eyes shut, mouth agape. Zelda sat up to look at her, keeping her hand moving.

“Are you sure?”

“Mhmm— _mmmmnnn_ ” Zelda couldn’t help but smile as she slid a third finger inside of Mary and watched how her face changed. She bit her bottom lip hard, and her face was scrunched up in pleasure. Zelda stole a kiss, and decided to stay right there, watching her. Mary’s pants changed, and Zelda knew she was close. She began to press the heel of her hand down against Mary’s clit with each thrust, trying to give her as much pleasure as possible. 

“Zelda. _Zelda...Zelda_ ” Mary breathed her name like a mantra, her pleasure just around the corner. “I’m, I’m...I’m...mmmmn... _Zeldaaaa—oooohhhhh”_  

Mary cried out as she came, stars bursting behind her eyelids. She felt like her body was floating, as she soared into the heavens. Zelda kept her hand moving inside of Mary as she rode out the orgasm, evidence of her pleasure spilling out of her. She didn’t realize that she had been crying, didn’t hear Zelda gently whispering her name, kissing her, brushing her hair back from her head. Everything was a daze, muffled and yet perfect. She floated in the haze of bliss for a moment longer before coming back to herself, remembering where she was, who she was with. She opened her eyes to see Zelda’s flushed face staring at her, a few inches away. She smiled down at her, watching and waiting patiently. Mary tried to speak, but still hadn’t caught her breath.

“Are you okay sweetheart?” Zelda asked, a hand cupped her cheek, brushing away the tears that still streamed from her eyes.

“Yes.” Mary’s voice croaked, and she swallowed. Zelda’s still damp hand was holding onto her waist, her thumb rubbing back and forth. Mary suddenly became aware of the wetness between her legs, and on the couch beneath her. She lifted her head up a bit and glanced down. 

“Did I…?” Mary turned even more red and looked away from Zelda, mortified.

“What’s the matter? Zelda turned her chin to look at her. The blue eyes filled with tears once more. 

“Hey, _hey_.” Zelda’s voice was calm, soothing. “Don’t be embarrassed about that. It’s natural. It happens to some women when they have an orgasm.” Mary’s eyes met hers, and Zelda held her chin.

“I didn’t know I could even do that. I’ve never...before...I mean, I know it can happen...I read about it in a book…” Zelda’s heart was full of love for the precious woman that lay beneath her. She loved her so much, her knowledge, the unabashed way she shared facts and details. It made her even more attractive to Zelda.

“I personally found it very arousing to have you gushing all over my hand like that when you came.” Zelda brought her hand up, and sucked her fingers clean, right in front of Mary’s face. “Besides, you taste delicious. I think I will have to get a better taste next time, hm?” That drew a small smile out of Mary, and Zelda smiled in return.

“How do you feel?” 

“Zelda that was...that was _amazing_. I’ve never felt like that before.” 

“Hmm.” Zelda rubbed Mary’s chest. “I’m glad you enjoyed that. I have wanted to do that for a really long time—well, that, and put my mouth on you.”

“Ooh...”

“Don’t worry. We have time for that.”

“What about...what about you? Did you want me to return the favor?” Mary was tired, but she didn’t want Zelda to go unsatisfied. Zelda kissed her on the cheek and brushed some of her hair back.

“You are so sweet. Don’t worry about me. Tonight is for you.” Mary wrapped her arms around Zelda’s neck, drawing her closer. Zelda snuggled down onto the couch, pulling the blanket up over the both of them. She lay half on Mary, half on the couch. She tucked her face into the crook of Mary’s neck, and smiled as she felt Mary run her hand through her hair, the motion comforting. 

“I love you, Zelda.”

“I love you too, my darling.”

They fell asleep tangled up in one another, their only thoughts of the feeling of being in each others’ arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I definitely had this chapter ready days ago, but since anxiety rules my life and I am scared of writing smut, I stressed out over it since like last week LOL #oops
> 
> Thank you to all of my friends who've had to listen to me kvetch about this chapter and repeat myself over and over again about how scared I was to post it. You all are the realest.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of good things happen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Very slight reference to past physical abuse. Very slight.

The next morning, Zelda woke up, and realized that she wasn’t in her own bed. As her body started to orientate itself, she realized that she wasn’t alone, either.

_Mary._

Zelda smiled as the events of the previous night came back to her, the kisses, the love, the passion. Her face was still buried in Mary’s neck, and she didn’t want to be anywhere else. She pressed a soft kiss to the underside of Mary’s jaw before leaning up over the sleeping woman to watch her. Seeing Mary in general was one thing, but seeing her face at rest, relaxed and happy was a whole different story. Zelda wanted to stay there forever, cuddling with Mary. She knew they would eventually have to get up and start the day soon, though. She placed a few more kisses to the underside of Mary’s jaw, for good measure, and then her lips. Zelda let her mouth linger when she kissed her lips. Mary eventually stirred underneath her, slipping her arms around Zelda’s waist.

“Good morning sleepyhead.” Zelda teased.

“Good morning” blue eyes greeted her as Mary smiled up at her, still looking a bit sleepy. Her hair was slightly frizzy, and she blinked sleepily in the bright morning light. 

“I think you wore me out last night” Mary said, melting as Zelda reached out to brush some hair away from her forehead.

“I wore you out, did I? Hm. I guess I will have to go easier on you next time, then.” 

Mary blushed, but a smile still danced across her face. Zelda leaned forward to place a quick, dramatic kiss on her lips before kissing down Mary’s neck, chest, and belly. Mary’s breath came quicker, Zelda’s silky auburn locks tickling her skin as she kept kissing her. Lower, and lower Zelda went, and Mary reached her hands up to Zelda’s head, fingers sinking into her hair. Zelda was feeling much more bold than last night. She flicked her tongue out to taste the soft skin of her tummy, before gently pushing her legs apart. Mary happily complied, and Zelda groaned as she smelled Mary’s arousal. She could wait no longer, and moved her face between Mary’s legs, studying the way she glistened in the daylight. Zelda slid her face up close to the damp folds, and took an experimental lick, from bottom to top. Mary hissed the moment Zelda’s tongue made contact with her, and Zelda groaned. She tasted _delicious._

“Is this okay?” Zelda asked, looking up from between the freckled legs. Mary’s eyes were closed again, and her head was thrown back.

“Mhmmn. Don’t stop.”

Zelda smiled as she moved back down between Mary’s legs, and eagerly leaned forward to lick her again. The same lovely, slightly salty taste met Zelda’s mouth as she began to lap at Mary. She wanted to taste as much of her as she could, take in every drop. But, she knew they had limited time, and Mary had to get ready for her clients soon. She cut straight to the chase and placed her mouth over Mary’s clit, tongue flicking out back and forth. The moans that Mary began to make were the sweetest sound Zelda had ever heard. She kept her mouth down on the woman even as her hips began to buck.

“Mmmmn” Zelda moaned, the vibration adding a slight buzz to the bundle of nerves below her mouth. She had Mary gasping and panting in no time, her tongue wickedly working back and forth. Zelda briefly moved her mouth down and dipped her tongue inside of Mary to get another taste before returning her attention to where Mary needed her most. 

“Ah— _hmmmm Zeldaaa_.” Mary started to writhe beneath Zelda, thighs quivering, and Zelda knew she was close. She kept her mouth working, tongue moving desperately. Before Zelda knew it, Mary was crying out beneath her and she felt a bit of wetness splash onto her chin and neck. She opened her mouth over Mary, drinking her in as she spasmed a few times in a row, riding out her orgasm. Mary whimpered as Zelda licked her clean, and crawled back up to her face. The brunette had an arm thrown behind her head, and her eyes were shut as she waited for her breathing to come back to normal. Zelda started to kiss her, letting her taste herself.

“That was good. You’re so good.” Mary opened her eyes and looked at Zelda dreamily.

“You’re the one who is good, and you taste _divine_.”

Mary blushed and reached her hand up to wipe off Zelda’s chin. 

“What time is it now?” Mary asked, wary of the time she had left before her first client arrived.

“Um, let me go and check.” Zelda got up and went to look at the small clock that sat on Mary’s desk. Mary watched her lovely body in the sunlight. 

“It’s 7:45.”

“Oh boy.” Mary sat up and yawned. “My first client today is at 9:30 I believe, but I officially open at 9. I have some time.” 

Zelda walked back over to the couch and sat down next to Mary, reaching out to take her hands between her own. 

“I’m just going to hop in the shower...you can join me if you want?”

“Only if you want me to. I don’t want to make you late.”

“Zelda, I want you to.”

“Well that settles it, then.” Zelda lifted Mary’s hands up in each of her own and kissed the backs of them. Mary giggled and stood up, completely nude, and stretched. Zelda watched as she left the room and heard the sound of the shower turn on, and then cabinets opening and closing. She then heard the sound of the toilet seat opening, and waited until she heard a flush before getting up from the couch. The small bathroom was starting to fill with steam, and it came from around the partially ajar door. Zelda knocked on the door anyways.

“Mary I’m coming in.”

Mary pulled the door open all the way, pulling Zelda into the bathroom.

“You don’t have to knock, you know.” Mary smiled before stepping into the shower, pulling the frosted glass door closed behind her. Zelda slipped off her panties and sat down on the toilet, taking care of her business. The bathroom was small and neat, and there was a stack of towels on the counter, next to the sink. Zelda finished what she was doing, and almost flushed the toilet before hesitating, hand hovering over the lever.

“I’m about to flush the toilet! I’m sorry!” Zelda yelled over the noise of the shower.

“It’s okay!” 

Zelda laughed as Mary squealed, the water in the shower turning cold for a few seconds. Zelda opened up the shower door and stepped inside the small shower. Mary had her hands scrubbing across her head, hair covered in shampoo suds. Zelda watched her as she worked through the thick locks, before Mary turned around and directed herself underneath the spray of the shower head. She made sure all of the soap was rinsed out, and Zelda marveled at the gorgeous natural texture of Mary’s hair, the water causing her true curls to start to show. 

“You are so beautiful, Mary, you know that?”

Mary wiped her hands across her face, and opened her eyes, blinking some water away. 

“You aren’t so bad yourself.” Mary winked before slowly backing Zelda up to the back wall of the shower, and pressing her body up against hers. She nuzzled Zelda’s nose with her own before claiming her lips with a kiss. Zelda groaned, and felt Mary slide a hand down between her legs. Mary looked down at where her hand moved up and down over the Zelda’s crotch. She leaned in and bit at Zelda’s earlobe as she found her clit with her fingertips, gently adding pressure as she rubbed at her. 

 _“I want to fuck you,”_ Mary whispered into Zelda’s ear. Even though she was already wet from the shower, Zelda still felt wetness between her legs. Mary nipped at Zelda’s neck and pulled back to look at the redhead. Zelda was fully flushed, eyes closed, strands of auburn hair sticking to the wet shower wall behind her. She opened her eyes, wondering why Mary had stopped. She saw the intense blue gaze watching her, and barely held back her own moan. Mary kissed her again, and spoke against Zelda’s mouth in-between kisses.

“I may not be very good at this. I’ve never been with a woman before.” Mary looked down, a trace of sadness in her voice. “I want to be good for you.” 

Zelda took Mary’s face in her hands and looked at her, heart melting.

“You don’t have to worry. I think you are _perfect_ , and whatever you want to do will be fine by me. I love you.” 

Mary smiled shyly, eyes slowly meeting Zelda’s.

“I love you too.” 

Zelda smiled in response, looking at the way the water droplets were clinging to Mary’s eyelashes, and dripped off the tip of her nose. 

_God she is gorgeous!_

She brushed her thumb over a sharp cheekbone and felt her heart flutter as Mary dove back in for another kiss. Zelda felt Mary trace her tongue over her upper lip before pulling back once again. Zelda let out a disappointed whimper, but it soon died in her throat as Mary began to kiss down her neck. Zelda couldn’t control her groans. Mary’s hand slipped back between her legs, only this time she spread her folds, fingers searching for their home. Mary gently bit at the juncture of Zelda’s neck and shoulder as she slid two fingers into her. Zelda threw her head back, too taken with desire to notice the pain of it hitting the shower wall. She marvelled at how good it felt to be filled up by Mary, her hands strong and sure. Mary began to move inside of Zelda, trying to recall what her book said, as well as what Zelda did to her last night. All of that seemed to fade though as she listened to the sounds Zelda was making. She suddenly seemed to know what to do, and curled her fingers inside of Zelda. Zelda sounded like she was crying, and Mary let up off of her neck and covered her open mouth with a series of sloppy kisses, swallowing Zelda’s moans of pleasure.

“Mary _please._ ”

Mary held Zelda’s chin in her hand and studied her face. Her blush was even more pronounced now, pale skin pink from the steam of the shower, and her lips were swollen. She was resplendent. Her eyebrows were pushed up together, and there was a crease between them as she panted. 

“Does that feel good sweetheart? Do you like it?” Mary asked.

 _“Harder,”_ Zelda begged, and Mary began to move her hand even faster. She leaned forward again to kiss Zelda, her tongue immediately searching for hers. Zelda moaned into the kiss, not able to keep up as she felt herself begin to feel the initial stirrings of her orgasm. She was out of breath now, and Mary moved back to whisper in her ear.

“Come for me. I know you can. It will feel _so_ good.” 

Zelda’s back arched up off of the shower wall, and she groaned loudly, the heat of her in Mary’s hand as she came. Mary slowed her hand inside of Zelda, and pulled it out to cup her as she bucked against her. She placed tiny, loving kisses all over Zelda’s face, and whispered soft “I love you’s”. When Zelda opened her eyes again, she tried to step forward to embrace Mary, but her knees turned to jelly. 

“Oh…” she muttered, the shower dimming around her as her vision greyed out for a few seconds. Mary slipped her hands around under her armpits, catching her and holding her up.

“We need to get some food into you,” Mary muttered, rubbing Zelda’s back. Zelda was limp against Mary, and her head came to rest on the brunette’s shoulder. When the fog lifted from Zelda’s brain, she carefully straightened herself, and slid her arms around Mary’s neck. 

“Are you okay?” Mary tilted Zelda’s chin up, looking into her eyes.

“That was...that was something. Wow. You are amazing Mary. I really might have to lie down after this.”

“That’s fine. You do whatever you need to do. I just want to get you something to eat first.”

Zelda gasped and a huge smile broke out over her face. 

“The pizza! I forgot about it!” 

“You’re right! I mean, I can stick it in the oven for you and reheat it, or I have some breakfast things here. I have a Keurig too, if you’d like some coffee?”

“I’d love some, thanks.” 

“Let me get you clean first, then I’ll make you something, okay?” Mary relinquished her hold on Zelda to grab one of the two washcloths she had brought in the shower and squeezed some of her body wash onto it. She turned back around to face Zelda and started to run it over her body, starting with her neck and arms. Zelda felt like weeping as Mary carefully washed her body, the washcloth gently swiping over her flushed skin. No one had ever been this gentle and tender with her before. All she had known before Mary was fear, anger, and pain. She watched the brunette and began to cry, silently. Mary was so reverent, the way she slid the cloth across Zelda’s breasts, like a prayer. Mary then moved to kneel as she began to wash Zelda’s legs, slowly making sure she covered every inch. Zelda brought her hands to rest on Mary’s shoulders as she delicately moved the washcloth through her still sensitive folds, and then around the back. Mary stood up and washed across Zelda’s lower and then upper back and shoulders, and rinsed the cloth out. She gently pushed Zelda under the spray of the shower, and moved her hands over her skin, trying to dispel the soap there. Mary grabbed a bottle of shampoo, and held it out to Zelda. Zelda cupped her hand and squeezed some into her palms. She closed her eyes and started to lather up her scalp, and tilting her head back.

While Zelda was doing that, Mary picked up the second washcloth and lathered it up, quickly washing herself. She kept her eyes on Zelda as she washed her hair, eyes closed, head tilted back. There were bruises on either side of Zelda’s neck where she had bit and sucked at her both yesterday and this morning. 

_Those are gonna take a while to heal…_

Mary felt a flash of pride and arousal at seeing the marks on Zelda, remembering how she had the woman crying out beneath her as she nipped at her. Zelda ran her fingers through her hair, the auburn strands dark against her pale skin, and opened her eyes, wiping the water away. They both moved in the same direction, meaning to pass each other so they could switch spots, and ended up laughing. 

“Here, I’ll go this way and you go that way.” Zelda said, reaching out for Mary’s shoulders. Mary rinsed herself off, and Zelda watched her run her hands over her body, the soap bubbles sluicing over her skin. Mary rinsed herself off completely, and Zelda leaned back against the wall, watching her. Mary reached to turn off the tap, and opened the shower door. She grabbed a towel from the stack and wrapped it around Zelda’s shoulders, before grabbing one for herself. She then wrapped a second towel around her head, and handed Zelda the last towel.

“Thank you.”

“Did you want a change of clothes, or did you want to put on what you wore yesterday?”

“I‘ll take a loaner, thanks.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back. There is lotion and other toiletries underneath the cabinet. Mary disappeared from the bathroom, and Zelda walked over to the mirror. She dried her hair with the towel and gasped as she saw the marks on her neck. Zelda slid a hand up over the bruises, blushing as she thought about Mary’s mouth on her.

_Guess I’ll be wearing high-collared outfits until these go away._

Zelda bent down to open the cabinet, and found the lotion. She hummed to herself as she started to rub some on herself. She kept humming and eventually started to sing quietly. As Zelda continued to put lotion on, she stopped for a moment, realizing that she was singing. She hadn’t felt this relaxed and comfortable in years.

 _I’m...I’m_ **_happy_ ** _._

Tears filled Zelda’s eyes, and she started to cry. She looked at herself in the mirror, makeup-free, hair damp, and started to cry harder. She covered her face with her hands and tried to muffle her sobs. 

“Zelda? Zelda, what’s wrong?” Mary appeared in the doorway, and Zelda turned around, leaning back against the counter.

“I’m sorry, it’s nothing.” Zelda wiped her face, and tried to stop crying.

“Zelda talk to me.” Mary moved to stand in front of Zelda, and slid her hands up her arms.

“I, I just realized that for the first time in a long time, I am truly happy.” Zelda started to cry again, but kept her eyes on Mary. “ _You_ have made me so happy, and I love you.” 

Mary started to cry as well, and reached out to cup Zelda’s face in her hands. 

“You are _everything_ , Zelda. If I have made you happy, even if just for a moment then I am glad, because I always want to see you smile.”

Zelda’s eyes fluttered closed and she nodded.

“I was just thinking, about how much I love you. You know how things went the last time I was in a relationship. I never thought I would be able to trust anyone again. and now I have you, and I don’t have to be scared or worry about...” Zelda gulped before continuing. “I don’t have to worry about being hit…”

“Oh Zelda…my sweet Zelda” Mary swiped some dark auburn hair behind Zelda’s ears before kissing her tenderly, and resting their foreheads together. 

“You are safe with me. You always will be. I promise.” Zelda nodded and slipped her arms around Mary, hugging her. When they pulled back, they shared a smile.

“I have a change of clothes for you in the office.”

Zelda looked at Mary, who was suddenly dressed for work. She hadn’t even noticed when she came back into the bathroom. Now she wore her usual work clothes, only her hair was shorter, curly now, and it was braided back into two pigtails. Zelda followed Mary to the office, barefoot and towel-clad, and sat down on the couch. Mary had sat a folded up polo shirt and leggings down on the couch, and had also folded up Zelda’s clothes from the previous day.

“You just get dressed and I’ll make you some coffee. Any preferences?”

“Something strong.”

 

* * *

 

Zelda put on her bra, but bypassed her panties, as she had been quite aroused the day before. She felt kind of silly wearing her flats with the outfit from Mary, but was headed home soon anyways. She gathered her belongings, and went out to the small kitchen area, the smell of coffee greeting her. Mary was  standing at the counter, her back to Zelda. Zelda put her things on the end of the counter nearest to her, and walked up behind Mary, slipping her arms around her waist. Mary sighed, and leaned back against Zelda.

“I made you some coffee.”

“Mmn, I can’t wait to have some.” Zelda nuzzled against the side of Mary’s head, and kissed her ear. “I love being able to just hold you like this.”

“Well I love being held by you.” Mary said in return, sliding her hands over Zelda’s arms. Zelda gently lifted up the front of Mary’s shirt and slid her hand underneath, rubbing Mary’s tummy. Her hand snuck lower, to the waistband of her leggings, and she slipped it underneath. Sly fingers kept rubbing back and forth.

 _“Zelda,”_ Mary whispered. “I have a customer arriving in 30 minutes.”

“Good. Then we have just under 30 minutes.” Zelda kissed Mary on the cheek, and slid her hand down further, beneath the waistband of Mary’s underwear.

 _“Hmmmmn…”_ Mary groaned, eyes closing as Zelda’s fingers parted her folds, searching for that small bundle of nerves.

“Shhh, it’s okay.” Zelda started to rub small circles over her clit, Mary still sensitive from earlier. She slid her other hand up to squeeze Mary’s breast.

“Zelda... _ahhhhh_ ” Mary began to let out some higher-pitched moans, bordering on whining. Zelda smiled into her neck as she continued to rub at her. 

“Zelda... _fuck_ …I have to work soon…I can’t be wet and— _ahh...mmmmn_.”

 _“Come for me, my darling,”_ Zelda whispered, hand moving faster. Mary was biting down on her bottom lip, her face screwed up, head leant back on Zelda’s shoulder. Her neck was bared, and Zelda wanted to kiss the entire length of it. Suddenly, Mary was crying out, and Zelda slid her hand down, feeling the gushes as Mary came. Zelda kissed her on the cheek and let her fingers gather some of the new wetness. She carefully removed her wet hand from Mary’s pants and sucked each finger clean. Mary groaned as Zelda licked her hand, the other one still around her waist.

“Today has officially been my most favorite way to start the work day.” Mary turned around, and placed her hands against Zelda’s shoulders. She went in for a quick kiss.

“Mine too. Hmmn. So about that coffee…”

“Yes!” Mary turned to get the mug of coffee that had been sitting in front of the Keurig, and handed it to Zelda. Zelda took a sip, and hummed appreciatively. Mary uncovered a plate that had two slices of pizza from the night before (that she had reheated in the oven).

“Here. Eat up. I don’t want your blood sugar to get too low.” She slid the plate over to Zelda, and pushed her glasses up on her nose. 

“I’m just going to check some things up front and I’ll be right back.”

Mary disappeared around the corner, and Zelda dug into her unusual but not unwelcome breakfast. She ate quickly, knowing that she too had to get home to work as well. She was polishing off her first slice when Mary came back and leaned on the counter across from Zelda.

“So, I uh, have a proposition for you.”

“I’m listening.” Zelda took a long sip of her coffee, eyes on Mary over the mug.

“Remember Anne, the elderly woman who was sharing the box with us when we went to see the orchestra?”

“Yes.” Zelda smiled fondly, remembering how sweet the woman was.

“Well, she got in contact with me and gave me some more tickets...to see Sleeping Beauty, the ballet. I want to take you…”

“Mary you know I’ll gladly go anywhere with you, no questions asked.”

Mary smiled quickly, then grimaced, her expression turning somber.

“I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable, because the last time we were there...you know.”

Zelda briefly flashed back to herself being backed up against the wall by Faustus. Her hand trembled for a split second, and she clenched her fist.

“It will be fine Mary, truly. I am seeing my therapist, working through my baggage—I should be fine.”

“Are you sure? I can always give the tickets to someone else, or we can do something local instead, or, or—“

Zelda sat down her coffee mug and walked the short distance to Mary. She grabbed her by the hips and pulled her to her, kissing her.

“You are the most thoughtful *kiss* wonderful, *kiss* and beautiful person *kiss* that I have ever known.”

Mary draped her arms around Zelda’s neck, a bit of color coming to her cheeks.

“There was one more thing. If you did want to go, I was going to invite Hilda and Cee...but only if you didn’t mind, of course.”

“That actually sounds like it would be quite fun. When is the performance?”

“Next Friday. I was thinking maybe we could go out for dinner before?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Mary leaned forward and laid her head on Zelda’s shoulder, and Zelda rocked her from side to side. They heard the front door open and close.

“Sounds like my 9:30 is here.” Mary lifted her head back up, and pouted a bit. Zelda placed a peck against her poked out bottom lip.

“I wish we didn’t have to work today, and could just run away.”

“I know. Me too. Just think—the week is almost over, and Hilda has invited me over for Sunday dinner again. It’ll be here before we know it, and after that we’ll have our date to look forward to.” 

“Yeah, you’re right. It just seems so far away.” Zelda’s voice cracked and she frowned before clearing her throat. She had such a lovely time with Mary for the past 16 or so hours, and she didn’t want it to end. Never in her life had she had such a marathon of love, sex, and a feeling of contentment. 

“Don’t cry, my gorgeous girl. We’ll be together again soon. I promise.” Mary kissed Zelda’s cheek, her lips catching a salty tear. “Besides, I don’t think I can go too long without kissing you.”

“Neither can I.” Zelda replied eagerly. “You’d better get to your client.” She pulled Mary in for one last kiss, and then kissed her forehead. “I’ll see myself out. Thanks again—for everything, my darling. Have a good day at work.” 

“You too.” Mary slipped out of Zelda’s arms, and blew her a kiss as she walked around the corner to the front of the shop.

_“Hello there! Sorry for the wait! You can go on back and I will be right with you!”_

Zelda smiled as she listened to Mary’s chipper voice. She finished the last of her coffee, and threw the remnants of her second slice of pizza in the trash. 

_Back to reality I suppose. At least my reality now involves Mary, though._

Zelda smiled as she put her dirty dishes in the sink, and looked around, making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. She gathered her belongings, and headed for her car out front.

 

* * *

 

When Zelda got home, Hilda was in the living room, vacuuming. She didn’t hear Zelda come through the door, and was startled when she looked up to see Zelda. The noise of the vacuum stopped, and Hilda sat the vacuum upright as she greeted Zelda.

“Hey there Zelds! Hope you had a great evening!”

“I did…” Zelda looked away from Hilda, her face crumpling as she began to cry.

“Oh Zelda! What’s the matter?” Hilda rushed to her sister’s side, taking her hand between her own. Zelda dropped her clothes in the other arm and brought her hand up to wipe her face.

“I’m sorry I’m such a mess,” Zelda sniffled.

“I don’t see any messes before me, only my beautiful big sister.”

Zelda rolled her eyes and smiled, wiping her nose.

“I don’t mean to break out into dramatics, but I just wanted to let you know…” Zelda’s voice got all watery again. “...I just wanted to let know know that I’m happy.” Zelda started to cry again, and Hilda embraced her, rubbing her back and crying herself.

“There there, it’s okay. You deserve to be happy Zelds. This is a big moment for you.”

Zelda looked at Hilda, and wiped some of her tears away.

“I just, I never thought I would feel like this again—ever. It feels so good. And _god_ , she is so wonderful. And beautiful.” Zelda beamed as she spoke of Mary, a huge smile across her face. “I love her, Hildie, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

Hilda fanned at her eyes with both hands, and wiped away tears.

“ _Zelds_ . That is the most romantic thing I have ever heard you say! That was so beautiful. _You two_ are beautiful.”

Zelda sniffled, and bent down to pick up her clothes that had fallen to the floor. 

“I need to make myself presentable before our customers show up.”

“Yeah, you might want to do that,” Hilda said jokingly. Hilda then noticed the hickeys on Zelda’s neck, but chose not to say anything. Zelda took her dirty blouse and hit Hilda on the arm with it, smiling deviously.

“Ouch!” Hilda exclaimed, over exaggerating. Zelda shook her head and chuckled as she walked to the stairs, heading for her bedroom.

 

* * *

 

Zelda drove into town the next day around lunchtime. Her and Hilda had some downtime, and she decided to take a long lunch. Zelda made her way down the familiar streets, smiling when she passed Dr. Cee’s. She drove past the next light and felt her heart leap as she saw Mary’s car in front of her shop. She wasn’t headed to see Mary, though. She had another destination in mind. Zelda turned at the next street light, and drove to her goal, parking her car in front of the small store. 

_Okay Spellman. You can do this. Just breathe, everything will be okay._

Zelda took a few deep breaths with her eyes closed, before feeling like she was able to get out of the car. She opened her eyes and got her purse, turning off her car. She looked around before getting out of the car, making sure no one was driving past on the street. When it was safe, she stood up and headed for the entrance. As she pulled open the door, a little bell tinkled above the door, and she heard an older male voice call out.

_I’ll be right there!_

Zelda slid her purse onto her forearm and pushed her sunglasses up onto her forehead as she peroused the glass cases in the store. She kept a hand on the silk scarf she wore around her neck as she leaned forward to view the contents of the cases. Some had necklaces that were made of pearls and others, lovely delicate, gold chains with diamonds hanging off of them. There were earrings and bracelets that sported sapphires and amethysts, emeralds and rubies. There were also plain gold as well as silver necklaces of different shapes and designs. Zelda came across a case that had some rings in it. She scanned the case, casually, when one design caught her eye. It was a simple silver band, that split into two on the front. The silver bands criss-crossed, and a simple round diamond sat in the middle. It was beautiful and looked nice without being too flashy. Zelda leaned in closer, looking at the diamond.

“Sorry to take so long back there!”

Zelda jumped and looked to where the voice came from. An elderly man stood on the other side of the counter, and was smiling up at her. He was slightly bent over, thin, and had wispy gray hair upon his head. He had a kind face, and had several different magnifying lenses stacked to the side of his glasses. 

“It’s okay. I was uh...I was wondering if I could see a ring, please.” Zelda felt nervous.

“Why of course dear! Which one would you like to see?”

“That one, just there.” Zelda pointed to the ring that had caught her eye. The man bent down, and took the ring out of the case. He held it over the counter for Zelda to see. Zelda took the ring from his weathered hands and held it up examining it. She started to imagine how it would look when it was with its new owner, and she felt herself start to get choked up. The man slid a box of tissue over the counter towards Zelda. She put the ring down and dabbed at her eyes, tilting her head back.

“I’m sorry.” Zelda sniffed, and focused on her breathing exercises.

_There is no reason to be scared. It’s going to be okay._

“So uh, I see your not here with a fella. Are you testing out some ring sizes for yourself?”

“Well, not exactly.” A wave of anxiety wrenched through Zelda’s stomach, and she looked out the window of the store, ready to leave if need be. 

“So you’re getting this for your lady friend, then? She is very lucky, to have someone as beautiful as you.”

Zelda looked back at the man, relief washing over her.

“I’m the one who is lucky.” Zelda smiled, a blush settling in over her cheeks.

“Do you know what size she wears dear?”

“Well—that’s the thing. I don’t actually know, because it is supposed to be a surprise.” 

“Do you know what size you wear—or at least what size you think she wears in comparison to you?”

“Well her fingers are a bit thicker than mine. I would guess a size or two above what I wear?”

“Okay. Here, let’s just try one of these on you, and I will try to guess from there.” The man drew out what looked like a keyring filled with rings from his pocket. He slid one on Zelda’s finger, but it was too big. He slid a smaller size onto Zelda’s finger, and it fit just comfortably. 

“This one feels good.”

“Alright. I will go from here. Now, are you certain that this is the ring you want to get.”

“Yes, that is the one. How much is it?”

“It will be around $1550.”

“Perfect.” Zelda dug around in her purse and withdrew her wallet, not blinking twice.

“Before I go back and get this resized for you, I have to ask again: Are you sure that this is the ring that you want?”

Zelda resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and nodded.

“Yes, this is it. I’m certain.”

“Okay.”

The old man hobbled slowly to the back of the shop, in a workspace area, and hunched over a desk. He reached above him to turn a light on, and began working on the ring. Zelda unlocked her phone and looked through some photos she had saved of Mary, from their texts to each other. She would never get tired of looking into those blue eyes. She decided to send Mary a quick text while she waited, just to see how she was doing.

_Hey gorgeous, how has your day been going?_

Zelda decided to add a kissy face emoji, as well as a heart. She was just about to lock her phone when she heard the swooping noise that indicated that she had a new message. 

_Hi sweetheart! My day has been busy. I can’t wait to go home. Maybe we can go on facetime later? Hope you are having a good one. I miss you xx_

Zelda smiled, and quickly typed a response.

_I would love to see that beautiful face later. Hope the rest of the day goes quickly for you. I love you._

Mary almost immediately sent her a response, the three dots moving nearly right after Zelda hit send on her message.

_I love you more._

Mary had sent a three second video. Zelda pushed play and Mary blew Zelda a kiss, dramatically, and said “ _I love you!_ ” Zelda blushed and looked up, a bit embarrassed. The old man seemed indifferent to what was going on, and instead hopped off of his stool and came back over to where Zelda was waiting.

“Okay, here you go. This should fit. If not, just bring it on back and I will resize it for free, okay?”

“Thank you…” Zelda’s voice wavered as she looked down at the black velvet box that the ring sat in. She pictured herself opening it in front of Mary, and found herself wiping at her eyes once more. She shook herself out of the trance she was in, and unzipped her wallet, taking out her credit card and handing it to the old man. He walked over to a small cash register and swiped her card in a handheld reader. He pushed a few buttons, and then was withdrawing a receipt from the register. 

“Do you have an ID I can see, for the card?”

“Sure.” Zelda pulled out her driver’s license and slid it across the glass to the jewler.

“Would you mind signing here?” He held out a pen and the receipt to Zelda, and she walked over to where he was, signing the receipt.

“And here is your copy, miss, and your card and your license. I hope everything works out for you and your lady. Come back and visit again if you want to get a matching ring for yourself, or anything else. I would be more than happy to help you.”

“Thank you so much…?”

“Matthew.”

“Thank you Matthew.” Zelda reached out her hand to shake the knobby hand. “I’m Zelda.”

“Ah, Zelda. Lovely. Well Zelda, it’s been a pleasure. I hope you have a wonderful day.” 

“Thank you, you too.” Zelda closed the ring box and sat it down in her purse, along with her wallet. She put her sunglasses back on and went back to her car. Once inside, she had to take a few deep breaths again.

_Okay, so that just happened..._

Zelda drove home as quickly yet as carefully as she could. She definitely had a lot to process, and was glad she would be seeing Dr. Keane soon. She didn’t even know where to begin when it came to the past few days. Zelda smirked as she turned down the road that led to her house. She never usually did things on an impulse, but today, she just felt like it was the right thing to do. Zelda parked her car and ran inside the house, ignoring Hilda calling her name. She locked herself in her room and pulled out her journal, eager to chronicle everything that had just taken place, as well as her night and morning with Mary. She turned to a fresh page in her journal, pen at the ready. She wrote one sentence, and stared at it, as if she couldn’t believe that it came from her own hand. It read:

_I am happy and in love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did that really just happen? *Insert nervous laughter here*
> 
> [This](https://www.brilliantearth.com/rings/cyorings/purchase_review/?did=8016678&sid=4105801) is what the ring looks like. I'm so extra that I did a DIY ring on Brilliant Earth (though it basically was one of the pre-existing designs. Only DIY aspect was the diamond, really LOL). 
> 
> Also, please forgive any typos or what not that you may see. I was trying to stick to my posting schedule (Schedule? What schedule?) and posted this before rushing out the door to work. I'm 99% sure that everything is okay, though. Gotta leave that 1% margin for error, right? 
> 
> Thank you all again for following this story, leaving comments, sending funny tweets about it, and everything. I can't believe this is almost over! Hope you all have a great rest of the week!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few fluffy and smutty interludes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all basically self-indulgent fluff and smut LOL

Zelda and Mary sat by the fireplace in the Spellman’s living room, giggling. Mary had come over again for Sunday dinner, and Zelda had asked her to stay the night. They did not try to hide their love for each other in front of the family, and everyone was touched to see a new side of Zelda. Throughout the entire dinner, they only had eyes for each other, and Hilda marveled at how love had transformed her sister. After a delicious dinner filled with exciting conversation, they all ended up lying around in the living room, stuffed to the gills. Hilda had decided that for dessert they would have s’mores, and they all laughed and talked about their childhood memories as they constructed their Do-It-Yourself dessert. 

Mary made the first s’more, and fed it to Zelda. Her heart skipped a beat as Zelda sucked a bit of chocolate off of her fingertips before going in for another bite. Mary laughed when Zelda pulled back from her second bite and there was melted marshmallow goo all across her upper lip, and on the bottom of her nose. Mary covered her mouth as she giggled, and Zelda looked lost.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” She narrowed her eyes and kept her face serious before she burst out laughing, and Mary joined in a split second later. Mary leaned in to kiss the marshmallow off of Zelda’s mouth, and left her lips over Zelda’s, kissing her after her mouth was already cleaned up of the fluff. Zelda, on instinct, let out a moan that was sexual in nature, forgetting that they weren’t alone. Hilda cleared her throat from where she sat on the loveseat, cuddled up with Dr. Cee. Zelda pulled back from the kiss, flushed, glad that the glow of the fireplace could partially conceal her embarrassment. She moved the pillow she had been sitting on and laid down on it, too embarrassed to look back in Hilda’s direction. Hilda and Dr. Cee continued to chat with each other quietly, as if nothing happened. Mary moved her pillow next to Zelda’s and laid down. She scooted up close to her, so that their faces were almost touching.

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” Mary asked, softly stroking Zelda’s cheek.

“I’m thinking about us, about how much I love you.”

Mary smiled, her insides turning to mush.

“I love you too sweetheart.” She leaned forward to press her lips to Zelda’s, and let out a pleasant hum.

“You still taste like chocolate.” Zelda whispered, and placed a quick peck to Mary’s mouth. “And marshmallow.” Zelda gave Mary another peck. “You always taste sweet to me, though.” Zelda traced her fingers over Mary’s lips, 

Mary used her thumb to wipe off some marshmallow fluff that had stuck to Zelda’s nose. 

“I can’t believe I almost embarrassed myself in front of Hilda and Cee just now.” Zelda blushed, and licked her lips.

“Don’t look now, but everyone has left, and it’s just us.”

“Is that so?”

“Mhmmn.” Mary leaned in for another kiss, unable to help herself. Zelda slid an arm around Mary’s waist, and turned over onto her back. Mary followed, and continued to kiss Zelda.

“I want to keep kissing you for as long as possible Mary” Zelda exclaimed, a bit out of breath. “But I don’t think my back would like it if I stayed down here for much longer, though.”

“Shoot. Zelda, I forgot! I’m so sorry.” Mary slid off of Zelda and stood up, holding a hand out to her. Zelda took her hand graciously, and let herself be pulled up. “Is your neck okay?” Mary asked, concern written across her face.

“I should be fine.” Mary slid her hands up to Zelda’s shoulders, and dug her thumbs in, feeling the muscles.

“I’m sorry love. Maybe we can lie on the couch for a while, before bed?” 

“I’d like that.” Zelda took Mary’s hand and led her to the couch. Zelda sat down first, and laid back against the armrest, stretching her legs out. Mary waited till she was situated, and climbed on top of Zelda, laying her head down on the redhead’s chest.

“This is nice,” Mary muttered, sighing when she felt Zelda’s arms wrap around her waist.

“Indeed it is.” Zelda reached up to pull the hair pins out of Mary’s hair, and ran her hands through her curls.

“Zelda, I had a question, about this Friday.”

“Ask away.”

“I wanted to know if you would stay over at my place, after the show.”

“Of course I will. I would spend every moment with you, if I could. You are worth it” 

Mary lifted her head off of Zelda’s chest and looked at her, tears in her eyes.

 _“Zelda”_ , Mary whispered. “That is the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.” Mary placed her palm against Zelda’s chest and leaned up to kiss her, tears falling from her eyes. Zelda felt Mary’s bottom lip trembling beneath her mouth, and she felt a surge of affection for the woman.

“Don’t cry, my darling. You’re going to make me cry.” Zelda said, starting to choke up. Mary laughed through her tears, and wiped away the tears from her own eyes before kissing Zelda all over her face. Their lips met again, tears mingling, and Mary laid her head back down. Zelda started to rub her back, her hand making small, comforting circles.

“How did I ever get so lucky to have someone like you in my life?” Mary whispered, residual tears still leaking out from under her eyelids.

“I ask myself the same question every day.” Zelda kissed the top of Mary’s head, and gave her a gentle squeeze. 

They laid there for a while, not saying anything, the only sound in the room the fireplace and their slow breaths. Zelda kept her hand tracing circles over Mary’s back, and she was sure the brunette was fast asleep. 

“Mary?”

“Hmm.”

“What’s your schedule like this week?” Zelda’s hand snuck up into the brunette locks, feeling the silky strands between her fingers.

“Well, it isn’t too bad. I actually have a lot of gaps in my schedule.”

“Do you think you could come by the house and give me a massage one of these nights, before our date on Friday?”

“Of course Zelda. You know I’d come over even if I had back to back clients all day, though. I love taking care of you.”

“And I love having your hands on me—and in me.”

“Zelda!” Mary blushed, indiscernible in the dim light of the room.

“What? It’s true—” Zelda broke out into a yawn, not realizing how tired she actually was.

“I think we should go up, call it a night, what do you say?” Mary looked up at Zelda, who was yawning again, a hand covering her mouth.

“Yeah.” Zelda nodded, and Mary stood up and offered Zelda her hand again. 

“Come on sleepy. Let’s get you in bed.”

Mary took Zelda’s hand in hers and they left the living room, not caring about the half-eaten smores they left behind. Zelda was silent as they walked up the stairs, her bedroom their final destination. Mary remembered where Zelda’s room was from earlier, when Zelda showed her where to put her overnight bag when she first arrived. They both made quick work of changing into their pajamas. Teeth were brushed, faces washed, and hair was pulled back. Before Zelda knew it, she was tucked into bed with Mary curled up against her side. She could barely keep her eyes open, but still managed to place a tired kiss to Mary’s head.

“Good night, my love. I hope you sleep well.”

“Good night sweetheart. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Zelda let the peaceful sleep wash over her and take her away, Mary’s weight on her side like a security blanket. 

 

* * *

 

“Zelda?”

“Mmmff.” Zelda burrowed her face deeper into the pillow.

 _“Zelda.”_ Mary’s voice was a bit more persistent this time, and she kissed Zelda square on the mouth.

“I like that…” Zelda slurred, a sleepy smile on her face.

Mary started to run her fingers through Zelda’s hair at her hairline, and watched as Zelda opened her eyes. 

“I have to get ready to go to work soon.”

“Oh…” Zelda’s face was crestfallen. Mary cupped her cheek, an apologetic look on her face.

“I don’t want to leave either.” Mary gently placed her lips against Zelda’s, breathing slowly as she kissed her.

“You know, since we’ve been together, I’ve been having fewer nightmares?”

Mary took Zelda’s hands in her own, and brought them up to her mouth, kissing the backs.

“I’m glad to hear that. I don’t want you to be scared, or not be getting enough sleep.” 

“Can’t you stay for just a little bit longer? Please?”

Mary looked into Zelda’s eyes, weakening by the second. Zelda was _adorable_ when she first woke up. How could she say no to her? To her, Zelda was a goddess, hair tousled and frizzy, skin creamy, freckles showing in the morning light.

“Okay.” 

Mary moved back down into a lying position, and reached out for her phone and set her alarm for an hour from the current time, and tossed it aside. 

“C’mere.” Mary said, reaching her arm out. Zelda snuggled up to her, slipping a hand up under her pajama shirt, coming to rest over her heart. Mary buried her nose in Zelda’s hair, and they fell back asleep. 

 

* * *

 

Wednesday came, and Zelda had scheduled a late afternoon appointment with Dr. Keane. She also had called Mary and asked if she could swing by to give her a massage, later that evening. Zelda _needed_ it. It had been far too long. Sure, she had seen Mary many times since their last massage session together; however, most of those times were spent having sex, or just holding each other. Zelda rolled her neck from side to side as she sat waiting for Dr. Keane. She truly couldn’t complain about her time spent with Mary. She would gladly put up with a bit of neck pain if it meant she got to kiss and hold Mary. 

There was a familiar knock at the door, and Zelda called out her usual invitation. Dr. Keane floated into the room, wearing a lovely maxi dress. Zelda nervously clutched at her journal.

“Hello stranger! How have you been?”

“Well…” Zelda smiled, and looked at her journal, blushing as her smile grew. “I’ve been good, really good.”

“I’m glad to hear it. What’s good in the life of Zelda Spellman?”

“I um…” Zelda brought her hand up to cover her mouth, trying and failing to bite back her grin. “Mary and I...we, we’re sort of a thing, now.” Zelda chanced a look at Dr. Keane, and saw the love and support on her therapist’s face. 

“That is beautiful, Zelda. I am very happy for you.”

“Thank You, Abby. I have never been this happy in my life. It feels like everything I’ve experienced in the past, the failed relationships, the pain--It’s like it was all leading up to this. I have learned so much about myself these past few months, and I also have you to thank for that.”

“Of course, Zelda. I’m just doing my job; however, you did and are still doing the hard work. You show up and are honest, you do the homework I give you, and you have been stepping outside of your comfort zone. I’m incredibly proud of you.”

Zelda’s eyes filled with tears, and she reached for a few tissues. She dabbed at her eyes, and took a deep breath.

“I am uh…” Zelda gulped and took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. “I am going to propose to Mary.”

“Well congratulations! You two sound like you are perfect for each other.”

“I know it hasn’t been that long, but...it just seems like we know each other so well already, and I don’t think I can live without her…” Zelda’s voice broke, and she wiped her nose. Zelda briefly imagined a life without Mary, after experiencing the joy that her presence was. “I get an actual physical pain in my chest when I think about not having her in my life.” Zelda folded over the tissue and carefully dabbed at her eyes. “I know I sound like I am being overdramatic, but we both are middle-aged, and we aren’t getting any younger from here on out.” 

Dr. Keane just smiled as she listened to Zelda, not writing down anything for once.

“I just think that after the way things went with Faustus, it has caused me to cherish life, more. I don’t want to die alone and unloved. I mean, I have my family, but I never considered that there would be an opportunity for _romantic_ love. Now that I have Mary, I don’t want to let her go. Am I being crazy?”

“No Zelda, no. Love may make us feel like we are going crazy, but you certainly are not crazy. If you truly feel, deep down inside that you want to go forward with this, then do it. Only you know your heart, and your deepest desires. It has to be up to you, Zelda. From what you’ve told me, it seems that you both know your hearts, and that you both love each other deeply. Even before one of you made a move, you expressed great love for each other. My advice is to just move forward whenever you feel the time is right. Don’t worry about what anyone else says or thinks, just focus on Mary, okay?”

Zelda nodded, taking everything in.

“I can’t believe I am even considering marriage again. I used to think I would never get married. And then, of course, the unfortunate business with Faustus happened. I have never wanted to get married more, though. It just _feels_ right, at this point.”

“Has Mary been married before?” Dr. Keane readjusted herself in her seat, and crossed her legs. 

“Well, she was engaged. But um, she wasn’t quite into him...or other men, if you know what I mean.”

“I see.”

“She wanted to start a family, and stayed with him only because it made her parents happy. My heart breaks that I cannot give her any children, or that she can’t have any of her own. We both seemed to have accepted that we are long past that phase in life—but we can still be a family. She already feels like my family. She feels like home.” 

“That is beautiful. I think you are on the right path, Zelda. Let’s schedule you one month out, and we’ll see how things go from there, okay?” 

“Alright.”

“And Zelda?” 

Zelda looked up from her purse, pulling out her wallet.

“I am extremely happy for you and Mary, whatever you decide. You deserve this happiness more than anyone else. Good luck to you both.”

“Thank you Abby. See you in a month!”

Zelda left her session feeling encouraged, and drove home excited, anticipating seeing Mary later. She showered and passed on makeup, not wanting to get it all over Mary’s massage table. She put on an old t-shirt, and a pair of leggings. She normally would not be caught dead in such attire, but she was about to have a massage. She was also completely comfortable with Mary seeing her in any state. Hilda had dinner plans with Cee, and Zelda chased Ambrose and Sabrina out of the house, so she could have some alone time with Mary. Everyone happily complied, knowing that Zelda deserved to have privacy. Hilda was the last to leave the house, and she gave Zelda a knowing look and a wink as she walked out of the front door.

Zelda vacuumed and made sure that everything was in place. She had a cigarette and walked around the house, not with any particular goal in mind. Somewhere in the house, a clock chimed, marking the hour. Mary would be over any minute. Zelda rushed upstairs and to brush her teeth. As she was finishing up, she heard the doorbell. She put on some lightly tinted lip balm, and went downstairs. Her stomach flipped nervously as she opened the door. Mary was there, gorgeous as ever, her foldable table slung over her shoulder and a bag at her feet. Zelda’s heart leapt as she surged forward, taking Mary’s face between her hands, kissing her. 

“Hello to you too,” Mary muttered, dazed. Zelda smiled as she bent down to pick up Mary’s bag and opened the door wide enough for her to walk through.

“Come in.” 

Mary put down her table the minute she was over the threshold of the house, and turned to Zelda, arms outstretched. Zelda sat the bag down and immediately took her in her arms. 

“Mmn, I’ve missed your hugs. How have you been, my darling?” Zelda asked, gently rocking Mary from side to side.

“Today ended up being pretty stressful. I’m still chasing off a headache.”

“Oh no! Do you want to lie down?” Zelda looked over Mary, trying to see if she was in any pain. 

“No, no, it’s okay. I took something on my way over here.” 

Zelda brushed some of Mary’s locks behind her ear, as a few wisps had escaped her ponytail. 

“I’m sorry you had a hard day. It’s okay if you want to do something else tonight, to just relax instead.”

“Zelda no. I came here to take care of you, and that is what I am going to do. Besides, you haven’t had a proper massage in a long time. You probably will feel a lot better afterwards. Trust me.”

Zelda suddenly got serious, and gulped.

“I trust you with my life.” Her voice came out in a whisper. Mary leaned in slowly and kissed her.

“Mmn. You’re sweet.” Mary replied, sliding her hands down to Zelda’s rear. “What do you say we get started, hm?” 

Zelda nodded, and moved out of Mary’s embrace to pick her bag back up.

“Let’s go to the family room.” Zelda walked back into the house and Mary followed.

 

* * *

 

“How do you feel sweetheart?” Mary asked, as she slowly leaned over Zelda’s drowsy form. Zelda smiled sleepily up at the woman now draped over her.

“I am very thankful for you, Mary. That was the best massage I’ve ever had.” Zelda responded, voice raspy and soft from not being used. Mary was partially sitting on the edge of the massage table, with an arm placed on either side of Zelda. She lifted one hand and brought it up under Zelda’s chin and caressed it gently.

“So you liked it then?” Mary whispered, her eyes never leaving Zelda’s.

“It was _so_ good” Zelda said with a moan, suddenly trying and failing to hold back a yawn. She stretched her arms over her head briefly before bringing them back down. Mary continued to stare at her, not failing to notice the way the sheet fell slightly and exposed more of Zelda’s cleavage. She slowly began to lean forward, smiling as her tongue darted out to wet her lips. Now, a hair's breadth away, Mary placed a languid kiss on the other woman’s lips. The moment their lips touched, it was like electricity crackled around them. Zelda could feel her heart racing, and swore she could hear Mary’s as well. The brunette’s lips were warm and soft, and they caressed Zelda’s with a delicate urgency. Zelda always burned for Mary’s touch nowadays. Especially since they had made their relationship sexual. Mary pulled back to smile at her, and nuzzle her nose with hers before leaning in for another kiss. Zelda wrapped her arms around Mary, pulling her flush against her body. Mary moved so that she was completely on top of Zelda, and stole some more kisses. When Mary pulled back again, Zelda’s face was flushed, her chest heaving, lungs greedy for air. Mary took in the other woman’s smudged lipstick with a grin.

“Your lipstick is smeared”

“Oops” Zelda replied with a sheepish grin. “You’ve got some on you too. But don't worry. It's just lip balm. Besides, I think I am going to kiss it off of you anyways.” Both women snickered and kissed briefly, again, pulling apart with a smack. 

“I could kiss you all night long,” Mary said with an exhale. 

“That sounds like a good idea. Let’s move to the couch.”

“But won’t your family be back soon?” Mary leaned down to kiss Zelda’s cheek, one side and then the other, her forehead, and then her nose.

“They are all out for the night with their respective boyfriends.”

“Mmmn *kiss* perfect. Now I can take care of you the way I’ve been wanting to for so long.” Mary looked Zelda up and down, a look of mischief in her eye.

“What do you mean...oh. _Oooh_. I love it when you get naughty, Mary.”

Mary winked and placed a few more small kisses on Zelda’s mouth before getting up off of the table, holding out her hand to Zelda. Zelda took her hand and sat up, the blood suddenly rushing to her head. Mary noticed her hesitate, and caressed the back of her hand.

“Not too quickly, okay? You did just have a massage. We need to get some water into you. Have you eaten today?” 

Zelda tried to remember the last time she ate. The only thing she could remember was some cups of coffee, a few cigarettes, and a slice of toast she had...at breakfast.

“I haven’t had much, to be honest.” 

“Let’s order some takeout then? We can have fun while we wait for it to get here” Mary replied, with a devious smirk on her face. As Zelda stood up, she held the sheet up to her body as it started to fall. Mary eyed her hungrily, as she walked with her over to one of the living room couches. 

“I’m just going to grab my phone” Mary walked to the other side of the room, where she had deposited her bag earlier, and dug around for her phone. She walked back over to where Zelda was sitting on the couch and rested her head on her shoulder, turning slightly so they both could see the phone. Zelda reached her arm around Mary and pulled her close to her, watching as she unlocked her phone and swiped through to one of the food delivery applications. 

“So, we could get Indian? Or maybe just traditional burgers? Japanese?”

“I could go for anything at this point, to be honest. You pick” 

“Hmmn. Maybe some Thai food? I do love a good Pad See Ew.”

“Sounds delicious” Zelda replied, reaching up to take Mary’s hair out of its ponytail. Mary quickly ordered the food so she could get back to the task at hand. By the time she had put in the Spellmans’ address and paid, Zelda had her hands running through the thick brown curls now cascading over her shoulders.

“You are _so_ beautiful, Mary” Zelda said, her voice faltering, suddenly overcome by the sight of the brunette without her glasses, hair loose and free. Mary blushed and licked her lips, her dimples showing. She locked her phone and tossed it to the other end of the couch before turning back to Zelda.

“Oh stop,” Mary replied, grinning nervously. “You are the one who is beautiful.” Mary purred as she crawled back on top of Zelda. Their lips met in a soft kiss, which quickly turned sensual. Mary flicked her tongue over Zelda’s lips, eliciting a needy moan from Zelda. She smiled to herself as she felt Zelda’s mouth open, and traced her tongue over Zelda’s, enjoying the dizzying sensation. Mary felt a gush of wetness between her own legs at the wanton sounds the other woman was making. The need for air became imminent, so Mary reluctantly pulled back and rested her forehead against Zelda’s, both women now thoroughly flushed and panting. 

“I like this pre-dinner appetizer,” Zelda whispered. Mary ran a finger over Zelda’s swollen lips. She took in the beauty of the other woman, before turning her attention to her neck. Zelda threw her head back, moaning as small kisses turned into small nips followed by flicks of Mary’s tongue. 

 _“Mmmmmn_ —yessss.” Zelda groaned, breathing uneven. She felt herself grow even more aroused as Mary kissed her way down her neck, down to the tops of her breasts. Mary stopped once she reached Zelda’s heaving chest, slowly dragging her fingers back and forth across the edge of the sheet. Zelda let out a disappointed whine and pulled Mary’s head towards her chest. This was all the invitation Mary needed, as she pulled the sheet down, exposing Zelda’s breasts. Zelda moaned as the edge of the sheet brushed over her stiff nipples.

Mary’s mouth watered, her heart pounding rapidly as she took in the sight before her. She silently thanked the Universe for bringing such a magnificent woman into her life, before leaning forward to place kisses on Zelda’s breasts. She left open mouthed kisses around both of Zelda’s nipples, before finally taking them into her mouth, one at a time, swirling her tongue around each rosy peak, teasingly. 

“Mary _please_ ,” Zelda moaned breathily, her panties were now completely ruined. Mary could feel her own wetness seeping through her underwear, dampening the inside of her leggings.  

Zelda wondered if she could come just from this alone, from Mary suckling at her nipples. Her thoughts were interrupted by Mary, who started moving further downward. She lingered at Zelda’s stomach, her brown hair trailing ticklishly over the milky white skin. Mary rested her cheek against Zelda’s stomach, and rubbed her waist with reverence. Zelda glanced down to see Mary had stopped her descent, now only paying attention to her waist.

“I think your tummy may be my most _favorite_ part of you. So soft, so beautiful.”

Zelda turned red, and tears filled her eyes. She had been insecure about her stomach in recent years, often opting to wear spanx underneath her clothes.

_How is it that the part of my body that I am the most insecure about, she loves the best? Mary is truly an angel…_

Mary lifted her head up when she heard Zelda sniffle.

“What’s the matter?”

Mary leaned up over Zelda, looking into her eyes.

“Nothing.” Zelda wiped her nose. “You just make me feel loved. And I know it sounds silly, but you love parts of me that I don’t, and—“ Zelda hiccuped, choking back a sob. Mary kissed away the tears on Zelda’s face, and then buried her nose above her ear.

“You are completely and absolutely gorgeous, every single inch of you.” Mary kissed Zelda’s temple, and rose up to look at her.  “Never forget how beautiful you are, Zelda.”

Zelda nodded, teary-eyed, and pulled Mary in for another kiss. Mary traced her tongue over the inside of Zelda’s mouth while reaching down to slip her fingers underneath the sides of Zelda’s black lace underwear. It was the last piece of clothing she had on. Mary had to break their kiss to slide the underwear the rest of the way down Zelda’s legs.

 _“My gorgeous girl,”_ Mary whispered before lowering herself between Zelda’s legs. The intoxicating scent of arousal met her nose as she parted the other woman’s legs, moving them so that she had the redhead’s thighs over each of her shoulders. She turned to kiss Zelda’s left inner thigh, and then her right, as damp auburn curls tickled her cheek. Zelda was shivering in anticipation of what was to come.

“Is this okay?” Mary asked, wanting to gauge if she was doing a good job or not. 

“It’s more than okay, sweetheart. Keep going.” Zelda sounded a bit breathless. Mary took this as a good sign, and continued to kiss Zelda. Slowly but surely, her kisses got closer and closer to where Zelda wanted and needed them. 

“My love. You are breathtaking.” Zelda went pink, not used to being complimented while her legs were spread apart and she was lying bare and exposed. Mary was pleased to find that Zelda’s blushes _did_ in fact travel to other places on her body. She smiled to herself as she leaned forward, swiping her tongue through Zelda’s soft folds. The moment her tongue met Zelda, she let out a delicious moan. Mary caressed her thighs, her thumbs rubbing in small circles, as she now licked the entire length of her. She was _drenched_.

“Mmn, Zelda. You taste delicious” Mary said, pausing in between licks. “I have dreamt of this moment for so long.” 

Zelda’s hips bucked up towards Mary’s mouth as she continued to lick at Zelda. She was now eating her out in earnest. Zelda found herself grabbing onto the cushion behind her head, feeling as though she had died and gone to heaven. Mary started to tease her by circling her tongue around Zelda’s clit, but never giving her the direct pressure she needed. She took a page out of Zelda’s book, and placed her mouth over her clit and began to alternate between sucking and flicking her tongue. Zelda was panting now, her thighs shaking as Mary brought her higher and higher. Mary released one of the redhead’s thighs to slip two fingers inside of her as she continued to pleasure her with her mouth. She curled her fingers in the wet heat, and Zelda began to get vocal. Nearly sobbing as she approached her orgasm.

“Oh, Mary! _Oh—”_ Zelda could barely get any words out, and her vision began to blur as she came with a loud scream, a bit of wetness gushing out of her. Her thighs tightened around Mary’s head with each spasm, her core trembling. Mary kept teasing her through her orgasm, now resigning to small flicks of her tongue over Zelda’s clit as she rode out each wave. Zelda eventually unclenched her thighs from around Mary’s head, and lazily pushed her away from between her thighs.

“ _Please_ , I cannot take any more” she panted. Mary looked up to take in the flushed woman beneath her. She pulled her now wet hand out of Zelda and brought it up to her mouth, sucking on her fingers. Zelda was so beautiful in this moment, her cheeks pink, hair tousled, lips swollen, in a post-desire haze. She slowly opened her eyes, green meeting blue. Mary caressed Zelda’s face, pretty and flushed, as she claimed her lips in a kiss. Zelda could taste herself on Mary’s lips, and she smiled underneath the kiss. Mary felt her smiling and couldn’t hold back her own smile, giggling as she kissed Zelda again. Tears of joy filled Zelda’s eyes, and began to spill down her cheeks.

“You okay?” Mary asked, her eyes searching Zelda’s face.

“Yes. More than okay. I...for the first time in a long time, I’m happy. I’m so thankful for your presence in my life, Mary” Zelda’s voice was watery as she lifted her hand to wipe the tear tracks off of her cheeks. 

Mary’s heart clenched in her chest as she felt it flood with affection for the woman lying beneath her. Her own eyes filled with tears, bottom lip trembling.

“Oh my love,” Mary whispered as she stroked Zelda’s cheek. “You deserve all of the happiness in the world. You are a wonderful, strong, brilliant woman, and I am so grateful that I get to love you, and make you feel good.” She smiled as she reached up and brushed some of Zelda’s hair back from her face. Mary moved in for another kiss when the doorbell rang.

“I guess I had better get that.” Mary chuckled as she backed up and off of Zelda, and moved to the front door. She wiped her hand over her mouth and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to make herself as presentable as possible. Zelda sat up on the couch, feeling light-headed, and leaned back against the cushions. She heard Mary talking with the delivery person, and then heard her saying goodbye, and the sound of the front door closing. Mary reappeared shortly, bags in hand.

“Dinner’s here!” 

 _How is she this effortlessly adorable? I want to marry this woman_ **_so_ ** _badly…_

“I’m famished!”

Mary placed the food down on the coffee table, and untied the bag.

“Don't wait for me to get started. I’m going to get you some water.”

Mary disappeared to the kitchen and Zelda heard Mary moving things around, and the sound of ice cubes clinking into a glass. She returned shortly, two glasses of water in hand.

“Here. Drink up.” Mary handed the glass to Zelda, who was already several bites into her food. When she finished chewing, Zelda took a long drink, draining most of the cup. Mary sat down next to her and crossed her legs, opening up her box of food. She dug in, hungrier than she initially realized.

Zelda was silent for the most part as they ate, not stopping to talk because she was so hungry. Every now and then she would catch Mary’s eyes over a bite of food and smile. Zelda nearly finished her whole take out box, before she laid back against the back of the couch and placed a hand over her stomach.

“That was delightful. I haven’t eaten that much in a while.” Zelda yawned, a hand coming up to cover her mouth.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, Zelda.”

“I did. You know, tonight was…tonight was incredible.” Zelda blinked rapidly, trying to wake herself up. “...but I think I might have to go to bed soon, Mary. Between the massage and the food and the _sex_...I am knackered. You sure do know how to treat a girl well, though.” Zelda could barely open her eyes, thin slits with green peeking through. She yawned again, eyes watering. Mary took Zelda’s hand between her own, and patted it gently.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll see each other again in a few days. As for right now, let’s get you in bed. I’ll stay until you fall asleep. How does that sound?”

“I’d really like that. Thank you Mary.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I had a massage from Mary that ended like that. Damn. That Zelda is one lucky duck!
> 
> Thanks again, as usual for reading. I'm thinking that there will probably be 2 more chapters after this (maybe 3, I'm not sure yet). I love seeing all of your tweets and comments, and I'm glad so many of you enjoy this story. I never expected it to get popular, or that I would still be writing it for this long. It just kind of happened. This was my first multi-chapter fic. Ever. Like I had a serious writing-phobia before this. I'm sad it will be over soon, but I have a lot more Spellwell and Zilith things in mind. Stay tuned! Much love to you all!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group date finally arrives, and Zelda has a moment of bravery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is ready to hop on the emotional roller coaster? On your marks. Get ready...get set...go!

Zelda tapped her thumbs on the steering wheel as she waited at the light before turning down the road that led to Mary’s house. She had only been over once before, and that was after their date had ended disastrously almost a month prior. This time they would be meeting up with Hilda and Cee at Mary’s, and carpool from there to Riverdale. Also, Zelda would be staying with Mary after the show, which she was quite excited about. She found herself missing Mary the most on the nights when she went to bed alone, in an empty bed. There was a honk behind Zelda, and she realized that the light had changed, and she was still not moving. She held up her hand and looked in the rearview mirror. _Sorry_  she mouthed, giving her car some gas. She glanced at her overnight bag in the passenger seat next to her. The ring was inside. Zelda still didn’t know how and when to go about things. The nerves were eating her up inside.

_I’ve never done this before...I hope Mary doesn’t take it the wrong way...god, I hope I am not rushing things...I just don’t want to live my life without her…_

Zelda’s stomach churned nervously as she pulled up to Mary’s house. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying not to give into her anxiety. Instead, she thought about how she felt when Mary’s mouth was on hers, how she tasted, the sounds she made, and how she would get to experience that again, in a few short minutes. She turned off her car, and unbuckled her seatbelt. 

_It’s going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine._

Zelda gathered her belongings and got out of the car, locking the door behind her. She sat her bag down on Mary’s front porch and rang the doorbell.

_“It’s open!”_ Mary called from somewhere inside the house. Zelda pushed open the door and walked inside.

“Hey! It’s me!” Zelda called out, not sure where in the house Mary was.

“I’m upstairs! Come up!” 

Zelda pushed the door closed behind her, and walked over to the staircase, the smell of candles in the air. She kicked off her heels and started to walk upstairs. The upper portion of Mary’s house was every bit as quaint and cute as the downstairs. She heard some soft bossa nova music coming from down the hall, out of an open door. The music got louder as she walked down the hallway and entered Mary’s bedroom. There were a few candles that were lit, the scent of apples in the air. There was a large king-sized bed topped with a fluffy white comforter, and burgundy decorative pillows. A stack of books rested on the nightstand, and Mary’s glasses sat on top of the stack. Late afternoon sunlight streamed into the room and a large window next to the bed gave a sweeping view of the forest behind the house. Zelda looked down and wiggled her toes against plush white carpet and sighed, suddenly feeling relaxed. Some noise came out of the corner of the room, and Zelda realized that it was coming from a bathroom. 

“Mary?”

Zelda called out, setting her bags down and walking towards the bathroom. She wasn’t prepared for the sight that met her in the bathroom, though. Mary was in a lacy pair of red underwear with a matching bralette. Her slip and dress hung on the wall behind her. It appeared that she had just finished straightening her hair, and the lush chestnut locks hung around her shoulders. Zelda’s mouth watered as Mary turned to look at her.

“I—I...Mary...you look….” Zelda’s heart started to pound faster, as she was truly at a loss for words.

“See something you like?” Mary winked at Zelda, before crossing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around Zelda’s waist as she pressed their bodies together. Zelda couldn’t take her eyes off the way the delicate lace bra framed her breasts, freckles dipping into her cleavage. Zelda felt tears forming in her eyes.

“You’re _so_ beautiful, Mary. I can’t believe I get to have you all to myself.”

Mary pulled Zelda in for a long kiss, moaning as it went on. Zelda's knees trembled when she felt Mary’s tongue slide over hers. 

“ _Mmn._ That’s good.” Zelda replied, licking her lips.

“You look very beautiful as well, Zelda. Look at you!” Mary stepped back and gave Zelda a look from head to toe. “Yellow really suits you, Zelda. You are like a sunbeam—well, you _are_ my sunshine, as the song says.” 

The brunette giggled, and Zelda shook her head. She reached out to tickle Mary’s belly, drawing full laughs out of her. Mary weakly pushed Zelda’s hands away, and Zelda complied. Mary sighed, wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes. 

“You do look lovely in yellow, though.” 

“Thank you. I normally don’t pick such...garish colors, but there was something about this dress, I just don’t know what it was, but I felt drawn to it.”

“Well you made an excellent choice. It looks amazing on you. Though you would look good in pretty much anything—or nothing at all.” 

Zelda blushed and licked her lips, eyes darting away from Mary’s. She was itching to hold her again.

“Mary, you really look amazing. How much time do we have before Hilda and Cee arrive?” Zelda walked over to Mary and turned her so that she was facing the mirror. Zelda walked up behind her, and slipped her arms around her waist. 

“They should be coming over soon. They said they would try to get here at the same time as you, but Hilda told me that Lance usually runs a little late.”

“Okay, good.” Zelda began to slowly rock Mary from side to side, just as a gorgeous version of _Girl from Ipanema_ started to play. Mary placed her hands on top of Zelda’s, which were on her waist. 

“Look at how beautiful you are, Mary.” Zelda muttered into Mary’s neck, kissing her way up to behind her ear. 

“So lovely. And incredibly sweet.” Zelda slid a hand down, teasing the waistband of Mary’s panties. Mary just leaned further back into her touch, and let her eyes close, a happy smile on her face. Zelda carefully slipped her hand down into Mary’s panties, and whispered in her ear. 

_“I am going to make you come all over my fingers...and I want you to watch yourself.”_

Mary’s moaned as Zelda’s fingers quickly brushed over her clit before she slid them on either side of the small bundle of nerves, not touching Mary where she needed her the most. Zelda looked in the mirror to make sure Mary was still watching herself. She started to suck gently behind one of her ears, but kept her eyes on Mary’s face in the mirror. Zelda smiled as she let her fingers dance around Mary’s entrance, feeling the wetness gathered there. She slid her other hand up to cup Mary’s breast, and began to massage it gently. 

“I can’t wait to watch you come, Mary.” Zelda gently bit at Mary’s earlobe as she slid two fingers inside of her. Mary’s eyes drifted shut and her mouth opened to form a small “O”. 

“Sweetheart, I don’t see you watching. I want you to see yourself come undone.” Zelda focused on Mary in the mirror, waiting for her eyes to meet hers. She slowly moved her fingers around Mary’s entrance, causing the woman to whine.

_“Zelda…”_ Mary breathed out, legs starting to shake.

“Yes my darling?” Zelda kissed Mary’s jaw, and moved back to her neck.

_“P—please”_

“Please what?” 

“Please— _mmnf_ . Please... _uhhh_...fuck me.” 

“With pleasure.” Zelda slid her fingers inside of Mary, the familiar heat arousing, and the woman let out a moan of relief. She began to work her fingers inside of Mary, enjoying her wet heat, and uneven breathing. Zelda returned to kissing near Mary’s ear, tongue flicking out every so often. She slid the hand that was on Mary’s breast back down to her waist, to keep her secure. Watching Mary in the mirror was the most erotic thing Zelda had ever experienced.

“You are so wet for me my darling. Do you feel good?”

Mary nodded, chest turning red as she watched the way Zelda leaned over her shoulder, hand working quickly between her legs. She felt quite naughty, even though they were both adults in a consenting relationship. There was just something about watching Zelda in action. Watching the way her arm muscles flexed as she fucked her, her gaze heady as it met hers in the mirror. Zelda moved her other hand down fingers playing with her clit, and Mary knew she wasn’t going to last very long. There was already wetness collecting in Zelda’s hand. The added sensation of Zelda rubbing her clit caused her moan even more as she started to feel that familiar pleasant burn. The tingles started up and grew, and grew, and before Mary knew it she was crying out. As she called Zelda’s name, it felt like her body had left the floor and she was flying. Zelda held her upright as she came, soaking through her thin panties, hips jerking. She kept an eye on Mary in the mirror, and felt her own arousal and need building. Mary eventually opened her eyes, her energy spent, and Zelda kissed her on the cheek.

“How do you feel now?”

“Really good.”

Zelda pulled her fingers out of Mary, and carefully out of her underwear. Her fingertips were dripping and she met Mary’s eyes in the mirror as she licked them clean. 

“Mmn. Delicious.” 

Mary turned in Zelda’s arms and started to kiss her, tasting herself on Zelda’s tongue. Quick hands began to pull Zelda’s dress up, sliding down her body mid-kiss. Mary turned Zelda, lips not breaking contact, and backed her up against the counter. She reached up under Zelda’s dress for the edge of her panties. 

“Mary…” The words died on Zelda’s lips as Mary pulled her panties down, carefully, licking her lips. The brunette then looked up at Zelda and ran her hands up and down her thighs as she knelt on the floor. Zelda had been aroused from the moment she walked in and saw Mary in her underwear; however, the sight of Mary between her legs nearly sent her over the edge. Zelda’s breath caught in her throat as Mary promptly spread her folds apart and placed her mouth on her. Zelda’s head fell back and she set her hand down on top of Mary’s head, fingers gently burrowing in her hair.

_“Fuck.”_ Zelda swore, her other hand coming to grip the counter behind her. Mary lapped at Zelda like she was a prisoner enjoying her last meal. Her licks were frantic, sloppy, but they were extremely arousing. Zelda’s breathing picked up, and Mary buried her face further between Zelda’s legs. Her nose moved through the curly, dark auburn hairs that covered Zelda’s mound as she ate her. Zelda’s legs nearly gave out as she looked down to see Mary looking up at her, a look of innocence on her face, mouth buried between her folds. The doorbell rang downstairs, and Mary reached up to hold Zelda’s hips in place, eager to finish her.

“Mary,” Zelda breathed out, on edge. “Aren’t you going to get— _ah. Hmmmn.”_

The doorbell rang again, and Mary simply ignored it, completely dedicated to the task at hand. Zelda could feel her orgasm starting, and heard Dr. Cee’s voice calling out.

“Hello? Mary? Zelda? Are you guys here?”

Zelda panicked but wasn’t able to stop what was happening. She started to feel the familiar sensations wash over her and she started to come, groaning in an effort to keep her mouth closed. Mary held her hips down as she spasmed against the counter. Zelda’s arm flew out and sent a few items from the counter flying across the bathroom. The hand that had been buried in Mary’s hair still held on, clenched tight, pulling some hair. Mary didn’t mind, though. Zelda loosened her grip in Mary’s hair, and tried to catch her breath, fingers gently scratching across Mary’s scalp. She jerked again as she felt Mary’s tongue, at her entrance, licking up the evidence of her pleasure. Mary then kissed her clit, a reverent peck that made Zelda’s knees tremble, and stood back up. When she was upright again, Zelda could see stickiness on Mary’s mouth and chin. She reached up to wipe her mouth, swiping her thumb across the wetness, when Mary stopped her hand.

“Mary what—“

Mary kept her eyes on Zelda as she took her thumb into her mouth, sucking it. 

_She is going to be the death of me!_

“Mary...Hilda and Cee are waiting downstairs.”

“I know.” Mary replied, finally releasing Zelda’s thumb. “Do you want to go tell them that I’ll be right down?”

“I don’t even think I can walk right now. Plus I’m all red.” Zelda blushed, as if to prove her point. Mary kissed her on the cheek.

“Okay, okay. I’ll be right back.” 

Mary went back into her bedroom and Zelda saw her pass back and forth in front of the bathroom door before tying a robe around herself and exiting the bedroom. Zelda slumped against the counter, still tired and sensitive. She bent down to pull up her panties, and walked out to the bedroom. Mary and Hilda’s laughter came from somewhere in the house, and Zelda smiled. She was glad that her sister had a friend, especially when that friend was potentially going to become a part of the family, soon. Zelda walked over to the nightstand, and sat down on the edge of the bed. She stared out the window, and then looked down to her right at the stack of books. 

_Your Guide To Lesbian Sex. Hm._

Zelda’s eyes drifted down the stack, and she saw a bookmark sticking out of another book.

_Girl On Girl: Your Guide To Pleasing Your Partner…_

Zelda pulled the _Girl On Girl_ book from the stack, and flipped through it. It seemed to be a pretty thorough book that talked about everything from consent to female ejaculation. She flipped to the pages that Mary had dog-eared when Mary came back into the room.

“Alright so Hilda says—oh…” 

Zelda looked up and saw Mary looking at the book in her hands, a deep red flush creeping across her face and chest. She looked _mortified_. Zelda immediately got up and walked over to her, taking her in her arms.

“What’s wrong?”

Mary blinked rapidly, and bit at her bottom lip.

“I...it’s embarrassing, having those books. I didn’t really want you to see them.”

Zelda rubbed up and down Mary’s arms, and tilted her chin upright with her knuckle. Mary’s eyes were watery, like she was about to start crying.

“Who cares if I’ve seen them?”

“But I shouldn’t have to get books to learn how to pleasure my girlfriend! I should know how! What kind of lesbian am I?!” Mary cried, her fears revealed. Zelda cupped her face, gently.

“Mary. You are absolutely perfect. Surely you know that by now. I don’t have the words to describe how good you’ve made me feel when we’ve been intimate.”

Mary blushed again, and couldn’t hold back a smile.

“Really?”

“Oh yes. Really. I don’t think I’ve ever been this sexually satisfied from a partner.”

“Now you’re just being nice.”

It wasn’t like Mary to doubt herself, and Zelda frowned briefly while she studied Mary’s face.

“Hey. Look at me.” 

Mary’s eyes met Zelda’s, and Zelda could feel her heart lurch. 

_Goodness gracious, I love her so much…_

“I love you, Mary. There is absolutely nothing in the world that can change that. You are the most incredible lover I’ve ever had. You take care of me, you communicate, and most importantly, you love me.” Zelda’s voice cracked when she said the word “love.”

“You’re right. I _do_ love you. A lot.” 

Mary kissed Zelda, and Zelda could taste traces of herself on Mary’s mouth. 

“Don’t doubt yourself, Mary, okay? You are _everything_. I always feel good when I am with you.” 

Zelda wiped away the tears that had rolled down the other woman’s cheeks, and kissed her tenderly. 

“Let’s get you in your clothes so we can go have this fancy dinner and watch the ballet. I can’t wait to see you in your dress.”

“I can’t wait for you to see it either. I picked it out just for you.” 

Mary smiled and kissed Zeda on the cheek before slinking out of her embrace and walking back into the bathroom, wiping her eyes on the way.

 

* * *

 

Mary looked amazing in her dress. It was only a simple dark gray dress, with long sleeves, a boat neckline, and an A-line skirt. The material fit her like a glove, and Zelda caught herself staring multiple times during their car ride into Riverdale. She couldn’t take her eyes off of Mary. Mary seemed to catch onto Zelda’s lust, and mouthed _I love you_ across the back seat. It was a pleasant drive into Riverdale. Lance drove, giving the ladies an opportunity to relax for the evening. He hummed along to the radio, while Hilda chatted happily with Mary, asking her about joining a book club that one of her coworkers was starting. Zelda leaned back against the headrest, and thought about the last time she was in Riverdale. As her pulse started to speed up, she reminded herself to breathe, not wanting to alert Mary to her nerves. 

_Please let this be a normal night…_

Dr. Cee turned onto a street that took them to the nicer part of Riverdale, the same area where the concert hall was located. Zelda tensed up, and Mary looked over at her, slipping her hand into Zelda’s.

“Doing okay?” Mary asked, keeping her voice quiet.

“Yeah.” Zelda smiled and looked back out the window, watching nothing in particular. They stopped at a few more lights before turning and pulling up to a very expensive-looking establishment. Zelda looked up and saw a sign with fancy cursive lettering that read _La Cucina._

“I’m going to have the valet parking take care of the car, if you ladies don’t mind?” Cee looked in the rearview mirror and caught Mary’s eyes, and then turned to look at Hilda in the passenger seat.

“Sounds good to me,” Hilda replied. Mary gave a thumbs up from the back, and Zelda had sat up, making sure she didn’t leave anything valuable behind. She opened her car door and got out, walking around to Mary’s side to open her door. She held her hand out to the brunette, and Mary took Zelda’s hand as she climbed out of the car. 

“Thank you.” 

Zelda held Mary’s hand even as they walked up to the front of the restaurant. Cee held the door open for Hilda, and she gave him the quickest of pecks as she skipped through the open door. 

“Ladies.” He prompted, and Zelda and Mary walked through the door.

“Thank you Lance,” Zelda said, appreciatively. He nodded at Zelda as he walked over to where a hostess was standing behind a podium. They exchanged a few words, and within a minute or two they were being taken back to their seats. The restaurant was very classy, each table covered with a tablecloth, a small votive candle at each setting. There was a red and white wine glass at each place setting, and even the napkins that held the utensils looked expensive. Hilda sat next to Dr. Cee, and Mary sat next to Zelda.  A youngish man came over to them, and laid an appetizer, drink, and regular menus down in front of each of them at their table. 

“Hello everyone. My name is Michael, and I’m going to be taking care of your tonight. Are there any drinks I can get you all started with?”

Everyone looked at the drink menu in front of them, overwhelmed by all of the options. Hilda bit at her thumb, and Mary watched Zelda, who stared at the menu, her expression unreadable. Finally, Cee spoke up.

“We’ll have a bottle of the house red tonight, and anything else these ladies want.”

“Maybe some water on the side, with some lemon?” Hilda asked.

“I’ll have the same,” Mary said. “Zelda?” 

“I’ll have some water with lemon too, thanks.”

“Certainly. I will be right back with that for you.”

Michael disappeared from the table, and everyone was quiet.

“I’ve never been to a ballet before! I cannot wait! It’s going to be so much fun!” Hilda exclaimed, nearly clapping her hands together.

“You are absolutely adorable, Hildegard.” Cee muttered before leaning in to kiss Hilda. 

_“Lance_ , not in front of everyone.” Hilda whispered between a forced smile. 

“It’s okay, Hilda. Mary and I are big girls. And besides, I already know your full name.” 

“It’s a lovely name, Hilda.” Mary piped up, offering Hilda a warm smile.

“Thank you. I just, it’s kind of become a _thing_ that Cee and I use—oh nevermind!”

“Yes, please spare us the image, Hilda.” Zelda teased, feigning disgust.

“So. Does anyone see anything on the menu that is piquing their interest tonight?”

Zelda looked down at her menu again, and flipped through it. She loved pasta, but wasn’t really in the mood. She turned to Mary, and saw her looking over the menu. Zelda gently nudged Mary with her shoulder, leaning into her.

“What are you getting?” Zelda kissed Mary’s cheek, and leaned over her shoulder. Mary rested her hand on Zelda’s thigh, and Zelda took her hand in hers.

“I think I’m going to go with the Gnocchi & Italian Sausage. That vodka cream sauce sounds amazing.”

“You’re amazing,” Zelda whispered, moving her mouth to Mary’s ear before kissing the tip. She left her face close to Mary’s, and smiled when Mary turned to give her a quick kiss.

“No _you’re_ amazing, my gorgeous girl.” 

Zelda blushed nervously, and sat back upright in her seat as she looked back at the menu. Mary watched her, the way she turned pink, tried to hide her cute smile. She slid an arm around the back of Zelda’s chair, and gently rubbed her back.

“I think I’m going to have the Orecchiette Chicken Pesto. It sounds delicious.”

“Oh yes! That does sound wonderful Zelds!” Hilda pored over her menu, muttering to herself, still not sure what she wanted.

“Okay so I have your wine and some bread.” Michael returned to the table with an uncorked bottle of wine, and a basket filled with fresh bread. He sat both down on the table, along with some small plates. “There is olive oil and vinegar here on the table already, if you want to dip your bread in it.” 

Mary reached for two of the small plates, and sat one in front of her and Zelda. Hilda did the same, and tore off a piece for both her and Dr. Cee. She pushed the basket back across the table towards Zelda and Mary. Mary took the olive oil and vinegar, and poured some onto her plate. She then took the salt and pepper shakers and sprinkled a bit on the plate. Zelda unfolded her napkin and laid it across her lap, and unfolded Mary’s for her and put it on her lap.

“Thank you Zelda.” 

“Sure.”

“So, who else aside from Hilda is excited for this ballet?” Cee asked, quite enthused. He poured wine for everyone at the table, and Zelda took her glass and began to drink right away.

“I know I am,” Mary replied. “I love the music already, so it will be a real treat getting to see it performed live.”

“Yes! Tchaikovsky is just brilliant. It’s one thing hearing the leitmotif for Carabosse the dark fairy, and the Lilac fairy, but now we will get to see the dance in person.”

Zelda smiled at Mary, completely taken by her. She took another large gulp of her wine, finishing the glass.”

“I am very excited to see the Rose Adagio. Did you know it is the most difficult Adagio in any ballet?” 

“Ooh! I did not know that! Wow Mary, you really know a lot about things.”

Mary pushed her glasses up on her nose, and looked down at her plate.

“Don’t you know, Cee? My girlfriend is the smartest woman in Greendale.” Zelda smiled smugly, and kissed Mary on the cheek, causing the brunette to blush. Michael suddenly appeared back at the edge of the table, a notepad in hand.

“Are you all ready to order?” 

“I think we are...Hilda?”

“I’ll just have whatever he’s having,” Hilda replied, pointing a thumb over at Dr. Cee.

They told the waiter their orders, and how they wanted everything prepared, and he disappeared again. Another waiter brought them a large bowl of salad, and they all appreciatively took some.

“I’m _starving_!” Mary exclaimed, eating some of the salad.

“Mmn, me too. I haven’t eaten since breakfast this morning,” Zelda replied.

They all ate their salad, and talked some more about the ballet, and other performances that were taking place there the rest of the season. The conversation drifted to dance in general, and Cee sheepishly admitted that he used to take ballet as a child, as well as tap. Mary also admitted that she had had a brief dalliance with ballet as a child. Hilda was thrilled by the revelation, and couldn’t asking questions about dance. Before they knew it, Michael had returned, a large tray in hand. 

“Okay folks, I have everyones' entrees. Here are the two orders of Eggplant Parmesan for you sir, and you ma’am.” Michael sat down two plates in front of Dr. Cee and Hilda. 

“Her you go ladies, I have one Gnocchi & Italian Sausage…”

“Oh! Right here!” Mary raised her hand, and Michael put the plate down in front of her.

“...and here is the Orecchiette Chicken Pesto, for you.” Michael sat the plate down in front of Zelda. 

“Thank you, Michael.”

“My pleasure. Would anyone like some fresh parmesan on top of their food?” 

“I’ll take some!” Hilda blurted out. 

“Okay just tell me when to stop.” Michael took out a small grinder, and ground a fine dusting of parmesan cheese over Hilda’s plate. He kept winding until there was a small pile of cheese on top of her food.

“That’s good! Thank you.”

“You folks let me know if you need anything else, okay?” 

“Will do, thanks!” Dr. Cee responded, mouth already full with the first few bites of his food. 

“Mary that looks really good,” Zelda muttered as she cut a piece of chicken on her plate.

“Would you like to try it?” 

“Sure.” Zelda lifted up her fork but was instead met with Mary’s fork as she held out a bite to Zelda. Zelda wrapped her lips around the fork and ate the pasta. 

“Oh wow. Oh my god.” She covered her mouth while she chewed, her eyes closed.

“Is it good?”

“So good. It’s like sex.”

Mary blushed, and Dr. Cee suddenly started coughing, and Hilda began to pat his back.

“Oh dear! Have some water!” Hilda handed him his glass, and he drank greedily, swallowing, before coughing a bit more. Hilda held up her napkin and wiped at his nose as he cleared his throat several times. 

“Mmn. Sorry about that everyone. I think something went down the wrong pipe there.”

“It’s okay love. Just be careful next time.”

Zelda couldn’t look up from her plate, and Mary held back a laugh, her hand over her mouth, eyes crinkling. Hilda looked between Mary and Zelda and shook her head. 

They continued to eat, and Mary and Dr. Cee began to discuss their work, as they both were small business owners. Zelda zoned in and out, thinking about the ring she had in her bag, the fact that she was even able to be in a relationship with Mary, and how much her life had changed in just a few months. She lifted her fork up to take another bite, and raised her eyes to look around the restaurant. She heard a voice near the door, and it sounded like Faustus. She quickly took a bite and swallowed. Zelda let her eyes trace over everyone around the table, seeing if they noticed anything, but they kept talking.

_Maybe I’m just hearing things…_

 Zelda went to take another bite, and chanced a glance back over near the entrance of the restaurant. She saw Faustus walking right towards their table, a devious smirk on his face. Her hands began to shake, and her fork clattered to her plate, drawing the attention of everyone at the table. She quickly swallowed, food suddenly tasting like cardboard. Mary looked at her, saw the way the color had drained from her face, and heard her staggered breathing. 

“Zelda what’s wrong?”

Mary gently grasped Zelda’s shoulders. The redhead couldn’t talk, a blank look on her face, mouth slightly agape.

“That bastard. That absolute son of a bitch.” Hilda muttered, her nostrils flaring with rage. Dr. Cee stood up and moved to stand in front of the table, arms crossed. Mary turned and looked in the direction Zelda was staring. Faustus Blackwood walked up to their table, dressed in a black three piece suit, and a decorative cane in hand. She wrapped an arm around Zelda’s shoulders, and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

_“It’s okay, you’re going to be okay. You’re safe with us. I will keep you safe.”_

“What the _hell_ do you think you’re doing here?” Hilda spat, seething with rage.

“Why Hilda, that’s no way to greet your former brother-in-law.”

“ _Almost_ brother-in-law. Thankfully that didn’t come to fruition.” 

“Hilda I’m shocked! You couldn’t even spare some of that typical Hilda Spellman sweetness for me?”

“What do you want, Faustus? You need to leave us alone.” Dr. Cee spoke up.

“Ah Hilda, I see you are still keeping the company of this magical charlatan.”

“Faustus. I _will_ hit you in this nice restaurant. Don’t think I won’t.” Cee threatened, rolling up his sleeves.

“Ah yes, Lance, ever the classy one, as usual.” Faustus let his eyes drift over to Zelda, who was still shaking and trying to catch her breath. Mary kept whispering in her ear, and hand rubbing her back. “My my _my_ what do we have here? Has Zelda Spellman truly gone to the other side? Wow. Another _woman_ satisfying the needs of the cold Zelda Spellman?”

“You need to leave. _Now_.” Mary spoke up, arm protectively around Zelda.

“Oooh! She has teeth too!” Faustus chuckled, and switched his cane to the opposite hand. “Not too bad Zelda, at least she knows how to speak up. Maybe she can teach you.”

Zelda’s fear was now turning into rage, and she looked at Faustus, her blood boiling.

“Don’t you talk to her like that!”

“Why Zelda! Are you...have you grown a backbone now?” 

Zelda was livid by this point. She pushed back from her chair, and stood up, standing to face Faustus. 

“You...you..”

“Yes Zelda? I’m waiting.” Faustus replied, in a singsong voice, not expecting Zelda to do anything. The people who were sitting in the tables near them had all gotten quiet, and were watching with bated breath.

“You _pig!_ You do not get to come in here and mess with me like this, mess with all of us! I don’t care if you’ve had the restraining order lifted or not, you will NOT bother me or my family, and you will _especially_ not disrespect my partner or me _ever_ again. This woman is the love of my life, and she makes me happier than you ever did, ever could!” Faustus looked around, a smile on his face. The other patrons looked at Faustus with frowns on their faces, and some shook their heads, disgusted by him. Zelda stepped closer so that she was looking into Faustus’s eyes.

“I foolishly put up with your verbal and physical abuse in the past, and I will not tolerate it _ANY_ more, do you understand me? If you see me in public you had better stay far away from me. I’m serious.”

“Or what?”

Zelda couldn’t help herself, and she reeled her right arm back and slapped Faustus right across the face, the smack echoing across the now quiet restaurant. Faustus was stunned for a few seconds before he reached out and grabbed Zelda’s wrist, a snarl on his face. He squeezed her tightly, and twisted her hand, pulling her towards him. Zelda cried out, and Mary quickly stood up and reached for Zelda, ready to fight. Dr. Cee reached out to grab Faustus, his hand coming to grab the back of the villain’s neck. Several other people stood up in the restaurant, ready to jump in if necessary. But Zelda was going to settle this here and now, on her own. She took her knee and shoved it up between Faustus’s legs, and he immediately let go of her wrist, hands going to his crotch.

“Don’t you ever fucking lay a hand on me again, do you hear me? If you do, everyone in Greendale, Riverdale, and the whole United States will know just what kind of man you are, Faustus Blackwood. I mean it.” 

The restaurant erupted in applause, and Faustus still clutched himself between his legs. 

“Let’s go buddy.” Dr. Cee grabbed the fabric at the back of Faustus’s suit coat, kicked his cane away from the table, and walked him towards the front of the restaurant. 

“Sir? I’ve called the police.” The host at the front said quickly, as Cee headed towards the front door with Faustus.

“Good. I want this piece of shit arrested.”

Back at the table, Zelda was breathing heavily, not believing what had just happened. Mary’s hands were all over her back, a hand sliding down her arm to take her hand. She didn’t realize Mary was calling her name until she looked over at the brunette. It was like she was coming up from being underwater, and now she could hear Mary clearly. Hilda was also standing up, but giving her some space.

“Zelda? Sweetheart? Are you okay?” 

Zelda nodded, and reached behind her for her seat, her legs weak. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

“Here, let’s just sit you down…” Mary helped Zelda sit down, and quickly sat down in her own chair. She slipped an arm around Zelda’s shoulders, hugging her from the side. Zelda turned to look at Mary, tears in her eyes, and sunk into her embrace, her face pressed to Mary’s neck. Mary wrapped both arms around Zelda, and held her tightly.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. You did good my love. I am _so_ proud of you.”

Zelda nodded against Mary’s neck, anchoring herself through Mary’s touch. She took deep breaths, focused on the feeling of Mary’s arms around her, the sound of her voice in her ear, and the overall feeling of security Mary gave her. When she sat back up, though, she found she was embarrassed, and couldn’t meet Mary nor Hilda’s eyes.

“Are you okay Zelda?” Hilda asked quietly. She knew her sister hated being embarrassed in public. 

“I...I think I’m okay.” Zelda reached for her glass of water, hands still shaking, and took a few sips. Mary smoothed Zelda’s hair over her shoulder as she drank, and watched her for any sign that she was still unwell.

“That was _amazing_ Zelda, what you said and did! I’m so proud of you! We both are!” Hilda reached out to squeeze Zelda’s hand. Mary kept her arm around Zelda’s shoulders.

“I don’t think I could have stood up to him if you weren’t here. I love you both.” Zelda smiled, and her bottom lip trembled, tears clouding her vision, she let her head hang as she cried. These weren’t tears of sadness, though, but rather tears of relief, tears of joy. Mary and Hilda both started to cry as well, and Mary kissed Zelda’s temple. 

“I’m so terribly sorry, ladies.” Michael was back at their table again, with a new bottle of wine, as well as four plates of cheesecake. Zelda quickly wiped at her eyes, and Mary patted her back. “Enjoy this bottle of wine and this dessert. It’s on us.”

“Thank you dear,” Hilda replied. “We’re sorry if anyone’s evening was disrupted. We truly didn't know that awful man would show up.”

“That’s perfectly fine, ma’am. It happens. You just enjoy the rest of your evening.”

“Thank you.” Hilda smiled at Michael's retreating form. When she looked back over at Zelda and Mary, and her heart warmed. Mary had Zelda’s face between her hands, and she was wiping away her tears, talking to her in a soft even tone.

“You two are just so beautiful together. I know I’ve said it to you each before, but I’m so happy for the both of you. Truly.” 

Mary looked over at Hilda, and smiled, and Zelda had a nervous look on her face. 

“Do you still want to go to the show Zelda? If not, Lance and I can take a taxi or something, and you and Mary can take the car home.”

Zelda was silent for a moment, and then nodded.  She cradled her wrist, looking down at it. There was an angry red mark where Faustus had grabbed her. Mary studied Zelda, and saw the way she carefully held her wrist.

“Did he hurt you, Zelda?”

“It’s nothing, it should be fine.”

“Let me see it.” 

Zelda held out her forearm, and Mary gently took it between her caring hands, inspecting it. “Can you wiggle your fingers for me?” Mary asked. Zelda moved her fingers, and Mary gently pressed down around the base of Zelda’s hand. 

“Mmn!” Zelda let out a whimper as Mary’s fingers touched a tender spot. 

“Does it hurt there?”

Zelda nodded, drawing her wrist back to her chest.

“It doesn’t seem to be too bad, but I want to get some ice on that, and then I’ll wrap it for you, just in case it starts to swell up. I’ll be right back Zelda. I’m going to see if they have a first aid kit.” Mary kissed Zelda’s wrist where it hurt, and brushed her thumbs over the back of Zelda’s hand before standing up, searching for a restaurant employee.

“What a night, huh?” Zelds forced a smile, before looking back down at her wrist. 

“Are you really okay, Zelda? Honestly?”

“Yes. I just, I thought things were going to end very differently for a moment there, when Faustus grabbed me. I mean, I know he probably wouldn’t have done _too_ much while in public, but when you have been through what I have, your brain can’t tell the difference. You just go right back to that same place of fear, and trauma.” Zelda sighed, and took another sip of her water.

 “And to think I was going to propose to Mary tonight.” Zelda let out a lackluster laugh. “I guess Faustus _still_ found a way to ruin it.” 

_“Zelda...”_ Hilda’s jaw dropped, and she brought her hands up to cover her mouth. “Oh my god! Zelds!!” Hilda let out a squeal.

“Shh!!!” Zelda looked back in the direction Mary went, and then back at Hilda. “Please keep it down! I don’t want to ruin the surprise.”

“I’m sorry, sorry.” Hilda smoothed her hands over the tablecloth. “You know, don’t even worry about what happened tonight, Zelda. I’m sure you could ask Mary any time, and she would say yes. Just make sure you ask whenever you feel comfortable doing so, okay?” 

“Okay.”

“Oh Zelda. I’m so excited for you.” Hilda wiped under her eyes, tears already rolling down her cheeks. She got up from her seat and hugged Zelda, and kissed the top of her head. Mary had come back over to the table just as Hilda was pulling away, and Hilda simply smiled at both of them with her hands folded together. 

“Okay so I got some ice, so we can ice your wrist while we finish eating, and then I can wrap it before we leave.” Mary sat down next to Zelda, and pulled her chair closer. She sat down a small bowl filled with ice cubes, and poured some out into her napkin before wrapping it up and putting it on top of Zelda’s wrist. 

“Just keep that on there until we are ready to go, okay?” 

Zelda leaned forward and kissed Mary. She rested her forehead against Mary’s and closed her eyes. 

“I love you. Thank you for always taking care of me.” 

Mary cupped Zelda’s face, and pulled back to look at her. 

“I love _you_.” She kissed Zelda, lips briefly making contact with Zelda’s. “I will take care of you for as long as you’ll let me.”

“I’d like that,” Zelda said, getting lost in Mary’s eyes. “Shall we have some of this dessert? I’d say we’ve earned it, wouldn’t you?”

“Oh yes, for sure!” Mary slid a slice of cheesecake over to Zelda, and took one for herself as well.

“So what did I miss?” Dr. Cee had walked back to the table, and was rolling his shirt sleeves back down, buttoning them.

“We got some free dessert and wine,” Zelda said, awkwardly digging into her cheesecake with her non-dominant hand.

“Sounds good to me.”

“Any word on...you know, him? What happened?” Mary asked, not wanting to upset Zelda.

“Well. I took that bastard outside, and the police showed up shortly. I may have given him a good sucker punch or two before the police arrived, and warned him that things would be much worse for him if he ever decided to mess with my family again.”

“I really appreciate it Lance. Thank you.” Zelda smiled, trying to keep from crying again.

“Sure thing Zelda. As you know, I consider Hilda my family, and that also includes you—and Sabrina and Ambrose. If any of you ever need anything, I will do my best to be there for you.” 

Hilda wiped at her eyes and hugged Dr. Cee. Mary wiped away a few tears as well.

“So what do you all say we finish up this dessert and wine and get to the ballet?” Dr. Cee held the bottle of wine out to Zelda, and she poured herself a healthy glass. Mary also helped herself to a full glass, and her and Zelda began to get the giggles. They all finisher up their cheesecake, and got to-go boxes for their entrees. By the time they were leaving the restaurant, Zelda was a little tipsy, the whole drama of the evening (temporarily) behind her. As they waited for the valet to bring their car to the front, Zelda began to look at her wrist again. Mary had wrapped it up for her in the restaurant, just as Cee was paying their bill. She wiggled her fingers, her hand snug in the bandage.

“Still hurting?” Mary asked, reaching out to lift up Zelda’s hand. She leaned forward and kissed it a few times.

“Not anymore, now that you’ve kissed it better.”

Mary smiled, and wrapped an arm around Zelda’s waist, pulling her close. 

“Let me know if the pain gets worse, okay?”

The valet pulled up to the curb, and Hilda and Cee got inside. Mary held the door open for Zelda, and climbed in after her. At last, they were off to the ballet. 

 

* * *

 

The ballet ended up being a wonderful affair. Everyone enjoyed themselves, seated in their private box. Zelda had been slightly on edge as they entered the concert hall, memories of herself having a panic attack echoing in her memory. She stumbled going inside the venue, and Mary caught her. She let Hilda and Cee walk ahead, and pulled Zelda aside to see if she was truly okay. 

“I’m fine, Mary.” Zelda really didn’t want more of a fuss made over her that evening. It was starting to make her feel embarrassed. 

“Sweetheart listen to me. If you feel at _any_ time tonight that you need to leave, let me know, okay?” 

Mary had tenderly stroked Zelda’s cheek when she told her this. Zelda had simply nodded, a small smile on her face. 

“Thank you, Mary. For everything.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I love you. I want to keep you happy and safe.”

They kissed briefly before running to catch up with Hilda and Cee, an usher pointing them in the right direction. Once they had been seated, they chatted over a few glasses of champagne, and waited for the show to start. Mary had an arm around Zelda’s shoulders from the moment they sat down, and spoke in hushed tones near her ear over the din of the crowd. 

Anne and Ed, the couple who had been so generous and kind to Mary and Zelda, stopped by their box at intermission. Zelda thanked them profusely for their kindness, and hugged Anne to thank her for stepping in with Faustus the last time. She exchanged contact information with Anne, and Ed got into an involved discussion with Dr. Cee about the various portrayals of the Sleeping Beauty story in the media throughout the years. 

When the second act came to a close, Zelda found herself wishing the evening didn’t have to end. She had to admit to herself that she loved being out with Mary and Hilda and Lance. It felt nice to just relax for once, to do something fun. Of course they could always go out again, but tonight she could feel the bubble of love and protection around her, that emanated from her sister, Mary, and Dr. Cee. It felt good to know that people had her back, that she wouldn’t have to face things alone. Zelda had an “aha” moment when she realized that this could always be her life, that she got to choose to have moments like these, surrounded by the people she loved. All of her introspection had caused her to keep quiet for the latter half of the evening, and she nearly burst into tears of joy and gratitude each time she looked over at Mary. 

By the time the performance had ended, and they had said their goodbyes to Anne and Ed, Zelda was quite tired. The evening had been emotionally taxing, both positively and negatively, and she wanted nothing more than to snuggle up with Mary in the bed. The moment they got in the car, she laid her head on Mary’s shoulder, and fell asleep, almost instantly. Mary wrapped her arms around her, and leaned her cheek against the top of Zelda’s head. 

“Is Zelda asleep?” Hilda asked, keeping her voice quiet.

“Yep. She’s out cold.” Mary replied, turning to kiss the top of Zelda’s head. 

“Poor love. She’s had quite the evening.”

“Yes she has. I’m so proud of her.”

“Me too.”

Mary leaned her head back against Zelda’s, and closed her eyes, thinking of how much she loved the sleeping redhead. When she opened her eyes again, they were pulling up to her house. Mary caressed Zelda’s face, and whispered into her ear. 

“Zelda?” Zelda made a small noise, and snuggled further into Mary’s shoulder. “Sweetheart, wake up. We’re home.” 

Zelda sat up sleepily, and blinked. Mary brushed her hand over Zelda’s hair, and let it come to rest at the base of her neck.

“Come on sweetie. Let’s get you to bed.” 

Zelda just yawned, and covered her mouth.

“You all will have to excuse me. I’m afraid it’s time for me to go to bed.”

“That’s okay Zelda. Hilda and I are about to go home as well.” Lance turned around in the front seat, and was looking at Mary and Zelda in the back. 

“It was such a wonderful evening! We’ll have to do it again sometime soon!” Hilda exclaimed.

“Yes indeed.” Zelda replied. “Good night Hildie. See you later Lance. It was fun.” 

“You ladies have a great evening. We’ll see you both later!” 

Mary opened up the car door and held a hand out to Zelda, helping her out of the car. 

“Bye!” Zelda waved before pushing closing the car door closed, and followed Mary. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering as Mary opened up the front door. 

“Come my love. Let’s go to bed. I’m feeling the stress of the day for sure.”

They went upstairs, performed their bedtime ablutions, and got into bed. Mary curled up behind Zelda, and wrapped her arms around her.

“I’m _so_ proud of you, Zelda. Words can’t even express.”

“I love you Mary.” Zelda cooed, half-awake. 

“Sleep well, my gorgeous girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get sad every time I think about how this story is quickly coming to a close. I think there will be 1-2 more chapters before it ends. I really don't want to leave this little universe that I've created. It's fun to always escape back to it, but everything has to come to an end. Don't worry, though. I have more Spellwell coming soon. 
> 
> Thanks again, as always, for reading and commenting, and following me on this journey. See you at the next chapter!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pre-proposal anxiety, fluff, smut, and more fluff.

Zelda’s eyes shot open and she let out a gasp, gulping in a large breath of air. 

_Where am I?_

She looked around not recognizing her surroundings, heart pounding out of control. She felt movement next to her, and her heart slowed a bit as she remembered.

_Mary…Mary. I’m with Mary._

Zelda carefully extricated herself from Mary’s arms, and climbed out of bed. She looked back at the still sleeping brunette, who mumbled something indiscernible and rolled over. Zelda found her purse in the dark, and took put her phone, pack of cigarettes, and her lighter. She snuck out of the bedroom, and walked down the stairs, stopping to put on her coat and some slippers.  Zelda had her cigarette drawn and ready when she stepped outside, lighting it the moment the door closed behind her. She took a long drag, inhaling and blew the smoke out in a thin stream. Not 5 minutes earlier, she had been dreaming of proposing to Mary. 

They had been sitting on the bank of the Sweetwater River, having another picnic. It was a lovely dream, and they spent a lot of time kissing in it. Then, the moment came for Zelda to propose. She told Mary she had a surprise for her, and had her turn around. Zelda rearranged herself so that she was down on one knee, holding the box open towards Mary. She had said yes, and they cried and hugged each other, before kissing passionately. When Zelda opened her eyes from the kiss, Mary was suddenly backing away from her, staring straight ahead with a look of stoicism.

_“Mary?”_

She had called, tried waving her hand out in front of Mary’s face, tried to reach for her, but Mary kept backing away, and Zelda’s feet were stuck. Mary kept retreating, the empty look still on her face, and Zelda felt her foot slip. She looked down and behind her, and say that she was suddenly at the edge of the water. She lurched forward, away from the water’s edge, but cold, wet hands wrapped around her ankles. Zelda clawed at the earth, the cold mud gathering beneath her fingernails. She grabbed desperately, fingers slipping, trying to hold onto anything, but was pulled into the water. It was dark grey and ice cold. Zelda screamed, and bubbles came out of her mouth. She frantically tried to swim to the surface to get at least one breath of air, but the hands that had been on her ankles clamped even tighter. Zelda panicked and thought of Mary. 

 _My love, I’m_ **_so_ ** _so sorry._

She heard a voice laughing, and she was pulled even further. The need for air was imminent, but Zelda knew that this was it. The last thoughts she had were of Mary as everything faded away to black.

The dream had been so real, and when Zelda woke up she felt like she was still being drowned. She looked down at her half-smoked cigarette before she stubbed it out on the ground. She shoved it back in the box and slipped it into her pocket. The dream still loomed in the back of her mind. Bile burned the back of her throat, and she felt tears spring to her eyes.

_I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t want to live my life without Mary, but what if she doesn’t want me if I propose? What if it’s too much too soon?_

Zelda cried softly, worry gnawing at her. She hadn’t had anxiety this bad since before she started going to see Dr. Keane. She completely disregarded the usually failsafe breathing exercises, and instead pulled her phone out, dialing Hilda’s number. The phone began to ring, and Zelda waited, hoping her sister would pick up. 

_Hi this is Hilda. Sorry I can’t make it to the phone right now! If you leave me a message, I will most definitely get back to you!_

Zelda hung up and immediately dialed the number again. She waited as the phone rang once more, and she hung up once the voice mail message started. 

 _Please pick up, please pick up_ Zelda thought, nerves rising. She tried again a third time, and the phone rang repeatedly again. As Zelda was about to hang up, defeated, Hilda answered.

 _“Hello?”_ A groggy voice whispered.

“Hi Hildie...it’s uh, it’s me.”

“Zelda! What’s wrong? What’s happened.”

“Um…” Zelda looked down and pulled at a loose button on her coat. “I had a nightmare…” her voice got all watery, and she started to cry again.

“I am so sorry love—oh, hold on. Let me go into the other room so I don’t wake up Lance.”

Zelda heard the sound of shuffling fabric as Hilda got out of bed, and walked quickly away from a sleeping Dr. Cee.

“Tell me what happened Zelda.”

“Well...we went to bed, almost right after you dropped us off last night. I was so tired that I fell asleep right away. I didn’t have any dreams—at first...but then I found myself out on another picnic, with Mary. We were on a date, and it was going well. I told her I had a surprise for her, and made her cover her eyes. When she opened them I proposed, and she said yes. It was the most perfect moment—but…”

“But…”

“Things started getting strange. Mary got this strange look on her face, and started backing away from me. It was like she was on a conveyor belt or something. And then...and then something pulled me into the river, and I drowned.”

“Oh dear. That sounds awfully traumatic. I’m sorry Zelds.”

“Do you know if there is any significance to drowning in dreams?” Zelda asked, biting at some dry skin on her bottom lip. Hilda used to try to interpret their dreams when they were younger, and made a game out of it amongst their school friends.

“Well, let’s see. Drowning…hmmn. I think what it signifies is that you are overwhelmed with emotions. I’m guessing this has something to do with proposing to Mary?” 

Zelda bit at her thumb, and didn’t reply.

“Zelda? You still there?”

“Yeah.” 

“Zelda listen to me. It’s going to be okay. Everything is going to be alright, okay?”

“How do you know that?” Zelda’s voice got small again.

“Just trust me Zelda. I wouldn’t advise you positively if I didn’t have faith that everything would work out. I know it’s hard, and it is a very personal matter. I know your fears, Zelda. And it’s okay to be scared. But you are just going to have to trust me on this one, okay?”

“Oh...okay.”

“Now go back inside and get in that lovely bed with that gorgeous, soon to be fiancée of yours, and get some sleep. You deserve it.”

Zelda was silent, and watched as a bug made its way across the front porch, stopping for a second and then continuing it’s crawl off the edge of the porch.

“Zelda?”

“...yes?”

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Yes…”

“Good.”

“Thank you Hildie.” It took everything in Zelda to not break down crying out of love for her sister.

“You’re welcome Zelds. Sleep well love.”

“Thanks. You too.”

 

* * *

 

After a much needed stop in the bathroom, and a quick brushing of teeth, Zelda crept back into bed. She held her breath when Mary stirred under the covers. 

“Zelda? Is that you?” Mary mumbled, her voice muffled in the pillows.

“Yeah.” Zelda kept her voice quiet, not trying to succumb to tears again. She lay with her back facing Mary, and felt the other woman snuggle up behind her. 

“I missed you…”

Zelda’s heart clenched, love for the brunette overwhelming her. Mary was so tender, and there was no way Zelda could be mad at her, or treat her with less than the love and respect she deserved. She couldn’t keep anything from her, even if she tried. A small sob bubbled up in her throat, and she covered her mouth. 

“Zelda?” Mary sat up a bit, and rolled Zelda towards her. She rested a hand on Zelda’s chest and peered down at her face in the dark. 

“I’m sorry. I had a nightmare.”

“Oh sweetie. Come here, let me hold you.” Mary gently reached out to grasp Zelda’s arm. Zelda turned and hugged Mary, burying her face in her neck. Mary wrapped her arms around her, and rubbed her back, the sensation calming Zelda.

“I’m sorry you had a nightmare. It’s okay. I’m here now. Just sleep.”

Zelda’s sobs subsided, the occasional gasp coming from her every now and then until she finally relaxed, melting into Mary. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Shh Zelda. There is nothing to be sorry for.” Mary kissed the side of Zelda’s head. “You just rest. When we wake up, it will be another day, and we can do anything we want.”

“Anything?”

_“Anything.”_

“What if…” Zelda swallowed and then yawned. “What if I just want to stay in bed with you?” 

“Then we’ll do that.”

Zelda hummed appreciatively and kissed Mary’s collarbone.

“Good night...again.”

“Good night again, Zelda.”

Mary kept rubbing Zelda’s back, even after the redhead had drifted off.

 

* * *

 

When Zelda woke again, it was morning, and the room was bathed in a light yellow glow. She was still in Mary’s arms, tucked in under the covers. Zelda pressed a small kiss just below Mary’s jaw, and let her lips linger against the skin there. She could feel Mary’s pulse just underneath the sensitive skin.

_This is my most favorite place in the entire world. I want to wake up like this every morning..._

She started to gently suck at the soft skin, and felt Mary move beneath her. Zelda increased the suction of her mouth, and it elicited a moan from Mary. 

_This woman will surely be the death of me..._

Zelda slid her hand down Mary’s belly, and underneath the waistband of her pajama shorts. She was pleasantly surprised to find that Mary wore no panties beneath the shorts, and threaded her fingers through the fine hairs that covered her mound. 

“Good morning my darling.” Zelda whispered, kissing Mary’s neck. 

“Good morning,” Mary murmured, arms wrapping around Zelda in a gentle hug. Zelda eased her way down Mary’s body, and rubbed her hands up over her breasts, and then down her sides and tummy. Mary let out a pleasant groan, almost like a sigh, and slowly arched her back. Zelda moved her face down between Mary’s legs, and pressed her nose to her crotch, breathing in the scent of her arousal. She could feel the slight dampness through her pajamas, and she kissed Mary over the warm fabric. 

_“Zelda…”_

“Yes my love?” Zelda pulled Mary’s shorts aside, and licked the entire length of her.

Mary let out a long, shuddering moan, wetness rushing out of her. Zelda smiled and continued to lick at her, taking her time. Mary gently held onto Zelda’s head, and began to slowly writhe under her mouth.

“Mmmn...oh, oh _fuck_...that’s good.”

Zelda kept her tongue moving, enjoying the taste, smell, and sounds coming from Mary. She decided to start talking in-between licks, wanting to draw things out as long as possible.

“You know…I really love tasting you...Mary. You are absolutely...divine.”

_“Please…”_

“I want to have you...like this...every...single...day...”

Mary’s eyes clamped shut, and her fingers dug into Zelda’s scalp as she felt the speed of the redhead’s tongue increase. 

 _“Ohhh_ ... _fuck_...Zelda.”

“You are so...beautiful…”

Zelda slurped at Mary, let her fingertips trace over freckled thighs as she felt the brunette jolting beneath her mouth, and heard the crescendo of her moans.” 

_“Aaaaaahhh!!! Mmmmnn…”_

Mary shook several times, her legs clenching then straightening out on either side of Zelda as she came. Zelda placed kisses over Mary’s center as she came, stopping to lick traces of Mary off of her lips and chin. Mary’s stomach was moving up and down as she panted, trying to catch her breath. Zelda lazily licked away all traces of Mary’s pleasure off of her swollen folds, enjoying every last drop. When she figured she had done enough, she licked her lips and crawled back up to Mary’s face. 

“Hey there gorgeous.” Zelda brushed some sweaty, curly strands back from Mary’s forehead. 

“Hey.” Mary said on an exhale. She opened her eyes, and a tear rolled out of the corner of one. Zelda used her thumb to brush it away. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Really _really_ good. Thank you for that.”

Zelda lifted up one of Mary’s hands and kissed the back of it before lacing their fingers together.

“It was my pleasure. You know I’d gladly do that for you, _anytime_. Just say the word…”

Zelda stared into Mary’s eyes, not hiding her hunger for the woman beneath her. Mary flushed under her intense gaze, and licked her lips. Zelda gave her a kiss, and lingered in place, giving her a few more quick pecks.

“So. What do you want to do today?”

“Well...I wouldn’t mind staying in bed all day.”

“That sounds fun.” Zelda started to stroke Mary’s hair whilst maintaining eye contact. 

“Maybe we can take a bath together, and have something to eat,” Mary traced Zelda’s lips with her fingertip. “...then we can worry about the rest of the day later. What do you say?”

“I’d say it sounds like a plan,” Zelda whispered, leaning back in to kiss Mary. She kissed her lovingly, and then placed little kisses all around her face. She slipped a hand under Mary’s pajama shirt and gave her tummy a little tickle. Mary squealed like a small child, and pushed Zelda’s hand away. Zelda laughed in response, and sighed.

“Come on. Let’s take a bath. I haven’t actually enjoyed the luxury of a good soak in a tub in quite some time. Showers are just easier.” Zelda slid off of the bed and held a hand out to Mary, who sat up and yawned. She took Zelda’s hand and climbed down off of the bed. Zelda pulled her in for a hug, and gently swayed from side to side.

“I think your hugs could save the world, Mary. They’re _magical_. Are you sure you aren’t secretly a witch or something? For I am certainly under your spell.”

Mary laughed gently, and kept her arms around Zelda, enjoying the moment of serotonin overload.

“Do you think we will even make it to the bathroom?” Mary asked, still holding onto Zelda.

“I’m not sure.” Zelda pulled back and studied Mary’s face. She wiped a bit of sleep out of the corner of her eye, and then slipped her hand into Mary’s. “Do you want to use the tub up here, or downstairs?” 

“The downstairs one is bigger.”

“Okay. Let me just grab something to put on after we’re done…”

“We could just put on some more pajamas, or something comfortable to lounge in. I have an old t-shirt that you can borrow—if you want to, that is.”

“That works. Let me go down and start filling up the tub.”

They parted with another kiss, and Zelda went downstairs, yawning again as she stepped down onto the bottom floor. She heard a buzzing noise, and realized she must’ve left her phone in her coat. She went over to the couch where she had left it earlier that morning, and reached into her pocket. There were a few texts from Hilda. She unlocked her phone, and saw that Hilda had sent two texts and a photo of her and Lance, huge grins on their faces. They both were making a thumbs up gesture. She laughed, and then looked at the text above the photo.

_Zelds—you have GOT this. You are the strongest woman I know, and I couldn’t be prouder of you. You can do this._

Zelda smiled, tears filling her eyes. The next message simply said.

_We are all rooting for you. We love you! <3 _

Zelda tossed her phone on the couch, and sat down, a hand coming up to her mouth. 

_I can’t believe I am going to do this today...holy shit..._

“Zelda?” Mary had come down the stairs, a few clothing items folded in hand. Zelda looked up, startled, and wasn’t able to hide her tears. Mary walked over and knelt down in front of her, hands gently resting on Zelda’s knees. She looked into Zelda’s eyes, and tears formed in her own.

“What happened?”

Mary reached for Zelda’s hands, and rubbed her thumbs over the backs. 

“I uh,” Zelda chuckled, her tears making a wet noise in the back of her throat. “I made the mistake of thinking about that horrible nightmare again.” Technically Zelda had started to cry in response to Hilda’s text of encouragement that was spurred on by her early-morning phone call. Mary stood up and took Zelda’s hand.

“Come on. Let’s get in the bath and wash our worries away.” 

 

* * *

 

While they waited for the bath to fill up, Zelda ordered them some breakfast on her phone. Mary brushed her teeth, and Zelda sidled up next to her with her phone out in front of them both. Mary looked down to see that she had Snapchat open. She rinsed out her mouth and put her toothbrush away, before taking some silly selfies and videos with Zelda.

“How long did the app say it would take the fold to get here?” Mary asked, recovering from the belly aching laughter she had just engaged in over their most recent Snapchat video. 

“Um, forty-five minutes or so.”

Zelda unwrapped the bandage from her hand from the night before. Mary watched her move her wrist back and forth.

“How’s the wrist?” 

“I think I’ll live.” 

“Does it still hurt?”

“It’s a little tender, but I should be fine.”

“I have something you can put on it, to make it feel better. Don’t let me forget.”

Zelda smiled and nodded, a wave of anxiety quickly passing over her as she recalled what took place in the restaurant not twelve hours earlier.

“Okay. I think the bath is just about ready.” 

Mary went over to turn off the faucet, and the bathroom was completely silent once more, save for a few drips that came from the faucet. When the tub was filling up, Mary had poured in some essential oil, and dropped in a lovely bath bomb. Zelda marveled over the way the water gurgled and changed colors. Now the tub was full of steaming, sweet-smelling, and inviting water and suds. Zelda pulled her nightgown up over her head, and then bent to take off her panties. She stepped into the tub first, carefully dipping a foot in and then sitting down.

“It’s a bit warm.”

“Is it too hot?” Mary slipped her pajama shorts off, and bent down to pick them up. 

“No. We’ll get used to it, don’t worry.” 

She looked over at Mary as she pulled her top off, and her nipples stood to attention. Zelda scooted back so that she was against one end of the tub, and spread her legs apart, making room for Mary. The brunette climbed into the tub, and hissed a bit before sitting down. She moved back against Zelda, and slid down a bit, so that the back of her head was resting on Zelda’s collarbone. Zelda’s hands wrapped around Mary’s waist.

“I want you to relax, Mary. You’re always taking care of me. Now it’s your turn to just sit back and let me do the same for you.” 

Zelda took a washcloth and poured some body wash onto it. She brought it behind Mary, and began to wash her back, neck, and shoulders.

“This is really nice.” Mary muttered, her eyes closed as Zelda scrubbed down one of her arms and then the other.

“I’m glad you are enjoying yourself.”

Zelda washed the rest of Mary’s body, and made small talk about the upcoming week. They both had slow week coming up, and had wanted to schedule time for a movie date. 

“You know, we always could just watch something on Netflix here at my place... _and_ you could spend the night…” 

“That does sound enticing. Besides, I would love to have you all to myself.” 

Mary turned around to look at Zelda with a look on her face that stole Zelda’s breath. She looked up at Zelda from underneath hooded eyes, the epitome of innocence. Zelda leaned forward and kissed Mary, unable to hold herself back.

“God, you’re beautiful.”

Mary flushed under Zelda’s gaze, and turned back around, a smile on her face, dimples showing.

“Are you ready for your hair?” Zelda asked, getting a bottle of shampoo and pouring some into her palm. Mary simply moved forward and slipped under the water before popping back up, completely wet. Her hair was slicked back and her ears stuck out on the sides. Zelda leaned in to kiss one before working the shampoo into Mary’s hair.

“Did you know that you have the most beautiful ears I have ever seen?” 

“What?” Mary raised her eyebrow and opened an eye, turning her head slightly as she looked to the side.

“It’s true. You are incredibly beautiful, Mary, but your ears are my favorite—well, one of my most favorite parts of you, anyways.” Zelda smirked, as she scrubbed at Mary’s scalp. Her natural curls were showing, and Zelda wanted to get lost in them. 

“You really think so?” Mary had a frown on her face. Zelda pulled her sudsy hands from the woman’s head. She cupped her hands in the water and brought it up to Mary’s head, repeating the action to dispel of the shampoo. Mary slid down and dunked her head underwater again, and came up wiping her face. She turned to face Zelda, and clutched her knees to her chest. A curly lock of hair fell forward into her face, and Zelda reached out to brush it behind her ear.

“You know, people used to tease me about them, when I was younger.”

“Hm?”

“My ears."

Mary looked down, and Zelda could see a flicker of the pain of past travel across her face for a split second. 

“Kids can be quite cruel...especially when you already are somewhat of an outsider.”

“You aren't an outsider, Mary.” Zelda sat a hand on Mary’s forearm, and rubbed her thumb over the wet skin.

“Maybe that’s true now. But when I was in school, kids teased you for almost anything. I got called names, picked last for every team—you know, the whole deal. That’s when I truly found solace in books. I mentioned to you that I spent a lot of time at the library. Well, I would spend almost _all_ of my free time in the library, and even became friends with the librarian. She even started to request books especially for me, books that our library didn’t have. I had a place to go, where I wasn’t met with my peers calling me names, making fun of my appearance, or mocking me. And now, some of those very tormentors come to get massages from me every week. It’s funny how life works like that.”

“Did any of them ever apologize to you?”

“A few. One woman told me she was always intimidated by me growing up, and that my self-assuredness brought out her own insecurities.”

“You truly are remarkable, Mary. I don’t know if I could have turned the other cheek, as easily as you have.”

“I just...I try to make sure that I treat people the way that I would want to be treated, you know? I don’t want to attract negativity, so I try to be kind to everyone, despite how they may be acting.”

Zelda leaned forward and kissed Mary, her hand gently grasping her chin.

“You’re the most beautiful person I have ever met. Your kindness is inspiring, and it makes my love for you grow even more.”

Mary moved forward to kiss Zelda tenderly.

“Thank you, Zelda.”

Zelda’s phone started to vibrate, and Mary peered around Zelda’s shoulder, in the direction of the counter.

“Do you think that’s the food?” 

“Probably. The delivery person is probably almost here. I still need to get washed up.”

“Don’t worry about it. I”ll get out and check on it. You just take your time, okay?”

“Alright.”

Zelda looked up and watched Mary stand up in the bathtub, water running in rivulets across the planes of her naked body. Zelda averted her eyes out of courtesy, but still felt heat flaming in her cheeks. She still couldn’t believe that this was her life. 

Mary wrapped herself in a towel, and slipped on a pair of shower shoes. Zelda watched as she went over to the counter and put some conditioner in her hair, and pulled it back into a wet, messy bun. Mary left the bathroom, and Zelda made quick work of washing herself. She knew that she wanted to propose to Mary sometime soon, and she definitely wanted to have the ring on her person, in case the right moment arose. Zelda didn’t bother with washing her hair, as it was still pinned up from the night before. She scrubbed her body clean, and pulled the stopper in the tub. She picked up a towel and dried herself off, grabbing hers and Mary’s discarded pajamas before going upstairs. It sounded like Mary was in her room still. Zelda carefully peered through the open gap of the bedroom door, and saw Mary walking around the room, tidying things ups. She had detangled her hair, and pulled it back into two braided pigtails. Zelda watched as she made the bed, and then opened up her curtains fully. Then, Mary turned and started to cross the room towards the door. Zelda quickly backed away from the door, and ducked into one of the guest bedrooms. She hid behind the door and watched through the crack, waiting until she saw Mary pass. She held her breath, a thrill of excitement pulsing through her body. When she heard Mary humming as she walked down the stairs, Zelda carefully opened the door, and went into Mary’s room. She put some lotion on, and the change of underwear she had brought with her. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she slipped the old t-shirt from Mary on over her head.

_You can do this Spellman. You’ve come all this way. You can do this. Remember what Hilda said._

Zelda walked over to Mary’s closet, glancing back at the door to make sure she wasn’t entering the room, and took out one of her robes. She put it on and went back across the room to her overnight back. Her hands shook as she withdrew the box that held the ring. She opened it just to make sure the ring was still there, and then closed it, quickly dropping it in the robe pocket.

_Okay, just act normal, everything will be fine._

Zelda’s pep talk only halfway worked, as she still felt shaky as she descended the stairs. When she got down into the living room, Mary was closing the front door, bags of food in hand. 

“Breakfast is here!”

“Is it still even breakfast time?” Zelda looked around for a clock, her sense of time lost as she was enjoying her time with Mary.

“It’s just after 10.”

Zelda rocked back and forth on her heels, the anxiety working on her nerves once more. She nervously fidgeted with her fingers, and looked around the living room.

“So—“

“Do you want—”

They both started at the same time.

“You first,” Mary said, walking over to the kitchen. Zelda followed her, and tried to calm herself down.

“Do you want to eat in the kitchen, or somewhere else like the couch?”

“The kitchen is fine. Besides, we have space at the table for all of this yummy food.” 

Zelda’s eyes darted around nervously, and she quickly sat down. Mary noticed the way Zelda was bouncing her leg up and down, and seemed to be worked up about something. 

“I’m going to make some coffee. You want some?” Mary asked, trying to get Zelda to talk about something—anything to get her mind off of whatever was making her nervous.

“Yes, thank you. That would be lovely.”

Mary put a pod into the Keurig and sat her mug underneath, before bringing the bag of food over to the kitchen table, where Zelda was. She started taking the containers out, and sat one in front of Zelda.

“So this one is your omelette I believe, and then biscuits are in this container, there should be a little tub of gravy, and there are some hashbrowns in this one, and then we have our coffee cake. Dig in!”

Mary floated back across the kitchen, and fiddled with the Keurig. Zelda opened up the box containing her omelet, and Mary was by her side, setting a fork and knife down on the table next to her. 

“Thanks.”

Zelda took the fork and knife, and cut herself a small bite of the omelet. She was actually quite hungry, and worked her way through about half of the omelet before Mary sat down, sliding a mug of coffee over to her as she sipped on her own.

“What do you think? Is it every bit as delicious as you hoped and imagined?”

“Mmn, I think it might be better.” 

Mary opened her box and began to eat.

“Don’t forget about the biscuits and hash browns. I know you said hash browns are your favorite.” 

“They are.”

Zelda took a sip of her coffee, and returned to eating, silent as she tried to gather her words.

Mary watched her carefully, as she knew that something was up. Zelda didn’t usually get quiet like this unless something was wrong. When the redhead would look up across the table, she would suddenly look away, and turn a bit pink. She almost looked like

... _she looks like she is about to cry...that or throw up. I hope she is okay._ Mary looked up as Zelda started to bounce her leg again, and couldn’t stand not knowing what was wrong.

“Zelda are—“

“What do you think about marriage?” Zelda blurted at the same time as Mary.

“I—what?”

Zelda wiped her mouth with her napkin, and looked down at her lap. She took a deep breath and looked up at Mary.

“What do you think about marriage?”

“What about it?” Mary’s voice had a playful lilt to it, which only made Zelda even more nervous. 

“Um…”

Hilda’s words of encouragement flashed through Zelda’s mind for a moment, and it gave her a small enough confidence boost to continue. 

“Would you...ever get married? I mean, I know you almost did marry Adam, and that was the only time you mentioned to me about being engaged, and—“

“I would definitely consider marriage if it were with the right person.”

A sick feeling manifested itself in Zelda’s gut, the anxiety clawing at her.

_What if I’m not the right person? What if she turns me down?!_

Zelda turned grey, and tried to breathe, tried to stay calm, her brain still jumping to conclusions and considering the worst case scenario.

“Zelda are you not feeling well?”

Zelda swallowed and closed her eyes, thinking of her favorite mindfulness exercises from Dr. Keane. Mary watched as she calmed down a bit, though her hands still shook.

“Sorry about that. I’m fine. I just, had some anxiety, that’s all.”

Mary reached a hand out across the table to cover Zelda’s, and she felt the slight tremor there.

“You were asking me about marriage, Zelda. I didn’t finish. I said I would definitely consider marriage again, if it were the right person. And I think I’ve found the right person.”

Zelda looked down at her lap again, and tears swam in her eyes. She couldn’t help herself, and burst out sobbing, all of the emotions she had been holding in now springing forth. Her face was red, and large tears rolled down her face. 

“Oh sweetie! What’s wrong? Oh my…” Mary was instantly up from her seat the moment Zelda started to sob, and she crouched next to her chair. Zelda hiccuped and gasped, struggling to catch her breath. Mary rubbed her back, and took one of her hands in her own. Zelda’s sobs shrank to smaller ones, and she was eventually able to get a few words out.

“Mary...I...I wanted to know…” Zelda gulped, and bit her bottom lip.

“Yes Zelda?” Mary kissed Zelda’s hand, and held it to her chest.

“I…” Zelda’s lower lip trembled. Her heart felt like it was beating in her throat. “I wanted to know...if you would marry me…?” Zelda started to cry again, and looked down at the balled up napkin in her lap, unable to look at Mary, for fear she would reject her. She felt Mary’s hand on her cheek, tilting her head upright. Mary had tears streaming down her face, and she had taken her glasses off.

 _“Zelda.”_ Mary said her name like a prayer, and it calmed Zelda. “You are the love of my life, Zelda. I would _love_ to marry you.”

“Really?” Zelda sniffled several times.

 _“Really._ Now that you’re in my life, I can’t imagine it without you.”

Zelda gave Mary a watery smile, and wiped her nose. She was dizzy with relief, her swinging emotions leaving her stripped bare. 

“I don't think I could live without you either, Mary.”

Zelda surged forward and kissed Mary, and then rested their foreheads together. They both were crying, and when Zelda pulled back to look at her, she saw a tear drip off the tip of Mary’s nose. 

“Come here.” Zelda said, patting her lap. Mary gladly sat down, and kept her eyes on Zelda’s.

“I...I was so worried that you wouldn’t want to get married, that you’d turn me down. It’s made me kind of on edge, and I apologize for any times over the past week when I’ve seemed a bit distant. I’ve not been eating, or sleeping well, because of the nerves.”

“Oh Zelda.” Mary stroked her cheek, and kissed her on the forehead. “There was no need to worry yourself like that. You know, I would have married you even if you had asked me right after our first date. I was so in love with you Zelda—I’m _in_ love with you, and always will be.”

“...I know we can't have children—we are both past the age for that, and I don’t have much to offer aside from a few new family members, and my heart...but I promise to love you until my last breath.”

“Zelda…” Mary cupped Zelda’s wet face between her hands. “You have given me so much already. You, just as you are, are enough. Never forget that.” 

Zelda leaned forward and rested her head against Mary as she hugged her. Mary laid her head on top of Zelda’s, and hummed a nameless tune. 

_Oh!! The ring!!_

Zelda’s head shot up, and she had an excited look on her face. She hated to break their reverie, but she needed to do things properly.

“What what is it?” Mary asked.

“Stand up for a minute.” 

Mary obeyed, a look of confusion on her face. 

“Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you. I’ll tell you when you look, okay?”

“Okay.” Mary closed her eyes, and held her hands up over her face. Zelda pulled the small box out of her pocket, and got down on one knee. She held the box out and up towards Mary, and took a deep breath. Her hands were shaking. 

“Open your eyes”

When Mary opened her eyes, she gasped, hands covering her mouth. She started to cry, and Zelda cried as well.

“Mary Elizabeth Wardwell. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? ”

Mary was speechless and just nodded, tears streaming down her face. Zelda pulled the ring out of the box, and slid it onto Mary’s finger. It was a perfect fit. Mary held up her hand and looked at the ring, and beamed when she lowered her hand to look back at Zelda. 

“This is absolutely _beautiful_ , and so are you. Oh my god Zelda come up here and kiss me!” 

Zelda stood up as quickly as she could from her kneeling position on the floor, and took Mary into her arms. She nuzzled Mary’s nose with her own, and teased her, brushing their lips together, before finally claiming her lips in a kiss. 

“I can’t believe we are going to get married!” Mary’s body thrummed with excitement, and Zelda held her close.

“I know. I’m _so_ glad that you said yes. Let’s send Hilda a picture! She will be dying to know your answer, though she told me from the start that you would say yes.”

“She was absolutely correct, just so you know.” 

Zelda’s smile was radiant, and tears filled her eyes once more.

“You’re going to be my wife. I...I just...wow..” 

“Well lucky for you, I’m all yours!” Mary held her arms out to the sides, gesturing for Zelda to come and hug her, while wiggling one eyebrow with a look of mischief on her face. Zelda giggled, and kissed Mary once more, holding the other woman close.

 

* * *

 

“Do you want to do something fancy, or low budget?” Zelda asked, putting the last few Scrabble tile pieces away. Her and Mary were back in bed, Zelda propped up on a pillow, near Mary’s feet, and Mary sitting up against the headboard. Mary didn’t answer for a few seconds, and Zelda looked up from the bag of Scrabble tiles, pursing her lips.

“Mary?”

“I...I definitely prefer low budget. I don’t really have a whole bunch of family or friends to invite…”

Mary looked off in the distance, chin trembling before she bit her lip, sadness clouding her face. Zelda gently slid her hand up Mary’s leg, patting her near her calf.

 _“Hey.”_ Zelda’s voice came out softly. “We’re family, remember? And Hilda is not only your sister-to-be, she also is your friend. Your _best_ friend. She loves you so much. And Lance absolutely _adores_ you, and Sabrina and Ambrose think you’re brilliant.” Zelda moved up to where Mary was sitting, and kneeled above her lap. She gently lowered herself to straddle Mary’s lap, and took her face between her hands, and brushed over sharp cheekbones with her thumbs. 

“You have us. Every single one of us. We love you.” 

Mary’s eyes fluttered closed, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Zelda sweetly took her lips between her own. 

“How could anyone not love you? I think it's impossible.” Zelda tapped the end of Mary’s nose and winked at her.

“Thank you for loving me, Zelda.”

“You don’t have to thank me. Just keep being your sweet, beautiful self.” Zelda kissed Mary again, and Mary slid her hands up and down Zelda’s sides. When the kiss ended, Zelda was a bit red from going without air. She took a deep breath as she looked into Mary’s eyes, feeling like she was falling. They smiled at each other at the same time, and held each others’ gaze.

“Do you want to play Uno next, or do you want to do something else?” Zelda asked, resting her hands on Mary’s shoulders.

“I think I want to do something else.” Mary slid her hands up Zelda’s shirt, and brushed her thumbs over her nipples. Zelda’s breath caught in her throat.

“Oh really? And what might that be?” Zelda had an idea of what Mary had in mind, but asked anyways, just for fun.

“You.” 

Zelda pulled her shirt up over her head and Mary surged forward to kiss her, knocking her back onto the bed. Mary shoved the Scrabble box off the bed, and started to kiss Zelda. She didn’t take her mouth off of Zelda until she was completely spent and satisfied, and they fell asleep while talking about their future life together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuck. How is this almost over? I refuse to believe it (even though I literally have started working on the last chapter already LOL). I may have even shed a tear while writing the proposal? Me, the Ice Queen. What is happening?!
> 
> I am trying not to think of it being over, and just thinking about how I have plans for another Spellwell AU coming up sometime in the future. *sigh*
> 
> This is hard. It was nice to escape to this little AU verse of fluff and love, especially as my mental health has been at the worst it has been during the writing of this story. Guess I will have to escape to more fanfiction (and a therapist)!
> 
> Thanks again for reading and commenting, as always. I really appreciate it.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pre-wedding jitters, a short and sweet wedding, and bliss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for the most extra chapter you've ever read! I really stressed out over this one. Hope you all enjoy it!

Mary sat between Zelda’s legs in the dining room at the Spellman house. She was sitting at the front edge of the chair, and Zelda behind her, currently entranced by the locks of hair that had snuck out of the back of her bun. 

“Zelda Phiona Spellman...hmmn. I know I’ve mentioned it to you before in passing, but I really do love your name. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.” 

Mary looked over the marriage license she was adding her own personal information to and let out a happy sigh. Zelda gave her a gentle squeeze. The redhead had her hands wrapped around Mary’s waist, and she held her in place as they were both (happily) crammed into one seat. Zelda leaned forward and tucked her chin over Mary’s shoulder as she watched her fill out the license. 

“My sweet little Mary Elizabeth. Are you flirting with me?” Zelda pretended to be shocked, and turned to press a kiss against Mary’s neck. Mary smelled like soap, a clean, fresh smell. Zelda left her mouth there, peppering her neck with kisses, and Mary sank back into her. 

“Who said anything about flirting?” Mary’s eyes closed, and she savored the feeling of Zelda’s mouth on her, the way her hands snuck around her waist. Zelda moved from the side of Mary’s neck to the back, and kissed the base. The brunette let out a pleasant sigh as Zelda burrowed her nose in her hair. 

“You are incredibly beautiful, you know that?” 

“So I’ve been told…” Mary sighed again, as Zelda tucked her chin over Mary’s shoulder once more. “There is this gorgeous redhead, who gives the _best_ kisses in the world...she may have mentioned it to me on occasion.”

“Is that so?” Zelda slipped her hand up under Mary’s blouse. “Best kisses in the world you say?” 

Mary turned in Zelda’s grasp to capture her lips with her own. She flicked her tongue out to trace over Zelda’s lips, first the upper than the lower. They continued to kiss, drinking each other in, and Mary felt Zelda’s hand slip under the waistband of her skirt. 

“Mmf, Zelda…” Mary pulled back from the kiss, licking her lips. “Any of your family members could walk in the room right now.” 

Zelda gently rubbed Mary’s tummy, and kissed her above her ear.

“You’re right. Let’s go upstairs. I could use a break.”

Mary stood from the chair, and Zelda waited until she stepped away from the table before she stood up. She stretched and yawned, and took Mary’s hand in her own. 

“Come on.” Zelda pulled Mary in the direction of the staircase, urgency in her step. They made it to the top of the staircase before Zelda quickly pulled Mary up against her and kissed her, her lips greedy. Mary’s legs trembled slightly, and her grip on Zelda’s shoulders tightened. 

_“Zelda…”_  

“ _God_ I need to taste you, Mary. I could have you right here in this hallway, up against the wall, out in the open. If we don’t hurry, I may not make it to the bedroom.”

Mary moaned desperately, and Zelda took her hand again, running in the direction of her bedroom.

 

* * *

 

Later, Mary lay curled up against Zelda’s chest, her hair down around her shoulders. She still felt stickiness between her legs, and she smiled, squeezing her thighs together. Her underwear were somewhere across the room with her stockings, both pulled off in haste. She thought about how just not even half an hour earlier, Zelda had her skirt up around her waist, and was between her thighs. 

_This is the good life…_

Mary turned her head slightly and kissed Zelda’s chest. The redhead rubbed her lower back, and rested her chin on top of her head.

“Zelda?”

“Yes sweetheart?”

Mary sat up and looked into Zelda’s eyes, palm against her chest. Her dark locks hung over her shoulder, and Zelda reached up to caress Mary’s cheek.

“I was thinking...maybe we could have the ceremony where we had our first date? I know it is a bit...unorthodox, and a last-minute location change usually doesn’t happen, but since it is just us, our family, I think it should be fine.” 

Mary looked nervous, her words racing from her mouth. Zelda’s heart warmed at Mary’s use of ‘our family.’ They were indeed a family now. 

“I think it is _perfect_. I will never forget our date there. What better place to have our wedding?”

Mary leaned in towards Zelda and kissed her sweetly, tasting leftover traces of herself on the redhead’s mouth. When she pulled back, she used her thumb to wipe away the remaining smudges of lipstick that were around Zelda’s mouth.

“We can have refreshments here, back at the house. I know Hilda wants to make us a cake.” 

“That will be lovely. I always enjoy her baking.” Mary let her pointer finger ghost over Zelda’s still swollen lips, and gave her another kiss. Zelda let out a pleasant hum, her eyes still closed when Mary pulled back. When she opened them, Mary felt her heart skip a beat.

“You know she is going to make all of the food, right? She is quite excited to have you as a new sister.” 

Zelda swept some of Mary’s hair behind her ear, and watched the way her eyes looked in the late afternoon sun. For a moment she envisioned their upcoming honeymoon, and how Mary would look in this same position, clad in a bathing suit, as they lounged on the beach. She let herself get lost in Mary’s eyes, and smiled dreamily.

“What?” Mary asked with a nervous smile, suddenly self-conscious. Zelda didn’t answer at first, still taken by Mary’s beauty.

“Zelda? What is it?”

“Just thinking about our honeymoon. I can’t wait to experience paradise with you. We deserve it. Besides, I’ll get to see you looking gorgeous in a swimsuit.”

Mary blushed before settling back down into Zelda’s arms, and rested her head on Zelda’s chest again.

“Did you get all of the information settled for our flight and reservations?”

Mary draped her arm across Zelda’s waist, and gave her a gentle squeeze. 

“Mhmm. I’ve already printed everything out, even though it is a week away.”

“I can’t believe we are getting married.”

“Neither can I. I can’t wait.” 

Zelda buried her nose in the crown of Mary’s head, and kissed her.

“Ready to go back downstairs, finish up wedding planning?” Mary asked.

“In a minute. Let’s stay here for a bit.” 

“Okay.”

 

* * *

 

The wedding planning turned out to be relatively stress-free, much to Zelda’s relief. Her, Hilda, and Mary made a great team. Luckily, they weren’t planning a grand affair, so they didn’t have _too_ much to worry about. Hilda had also had Sabrina and her friends helping with some things, to take some of the stress off of them all. That still didn’t stop Zelda from worrying, though. She was a worrier by nature, though she never let onto it. The exercises from Dr. Keane, which she knew like the back of her hand, helped, but didn’t ease her worry completely. She nibbled at her food in the days leading up to the wedding, and spent a lot of time lying awake at night. On the evenings when Mary didn’t spend the night, Zelda found herself needing naps the next day. There were several afternoons where she woke up from her nap to see Mary sitting on the couch with her. They often stayed up on the couch after dinner, after the family had gone to bed, and talked.

The night before the wedding, Zelda and Mary said good night to each other, and went into separate bedrooms. Hilda had insisted that Zelda and Mary sleep in their own rooms, at least for one night. Zelda grumbled, but followed along with Hilda’s idea, for she knew it was only for one night. Sleep didn’t come easily to Zelda that night, and she found herself tossing and turning for a few hours. She turned onto her side, and let out a frustrated groan. 

_I just want to_ **_sleep_ ** _. If I don’t sleep, I’ll look dreadful tomorrow…_

Tears of frustration stung at her eyes, and she let out a noise of defeat. She sat up and threw the covers back, stepping down from the bed. Her heart was beating profusely, and it felt like there was sand behind her eyelids. Zelda held her head between her hands and groaned.

_Convention be damned, I’m sorry Hilda. I need Mary..._

Zelda walked across her room and opened the door. Goosebumps rose on her skin as she stepped out into the hallway, the cool night breeze drifting in through the upstairs windows. Zelda looked around as she crept down the hall. She arrived at Mary’s room, knocked gently, and pushed the door open.

“Mary?” Her voice was a whisper, cautious of her family sleeping just down the hall.

“Zelda? Is that you?”

Zelda took this as permission to enter, and stepped inside the room, closing the door behind her. Mary sat up, and Zelda could just make out her shape in the dark purple light of the room. Zelda walked towards the bed, and Mary moved over, making room for her.

“What’s wrong sweetheart?” Mary asked, arms wrapping around Zelda as she laid down.

“I can’t sleep. I’m too nervous for tomorrow...and I missed you.”

Mary pulled the blankets up over Zelda, and rubbed her back.

“Try to take some deep breaths, okay? Everything is going to be wonderful tomorrow. I’m with you, no matter what happens.”

Zelda’s erratic heartbeat had started to slow down once she crawled into Mary’s bed. She felt her breathing eventually even out as she let herself melt into the familiar comfort that was Mary’s embrace. Her eyes finally closed, and she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

When Zelda opened her eyes again, there was a cool gray light in the room, the sun just barely rising. She felt the heat of Mary’s body beneath her, and smiled. 

_We’re getting married today. It’s finally happening._

Tears filled her eyes, and she wiped them away as best she could, without disturbing Mary. Zelda sat up and looked at the brunette, let her eyes trace over every detail. 

_I am so lucky…_

She let her hand glide through Mary’s hair, ran the back of her fingers over the side or Mary’s face, let her thumb trace back and forth over her cheek.

“You ready to get married?” Mary spoke, slowly opening her eyes. She covered Zelda’s hand with her own, and turned to place a kiss against her palm.

“I think I’ve always been ready to marry you,” Zelda whispered. She leaned in slowly, eyes darting back and forth between Mary’s eyes and mouth. Mary lifted her head up the extra inch to join their lips together, and sunk back into the pillows, Zelda following her. She wrapped her arms around Zelda’s neck and pulled her close. 

“You are a delight, Mary.”

Zelda moved to lie on top of Mary, and hissed when the other woman brought her thigh up between her legs, pressing against her center. Zelda didn’t have anything on underneath her nightgown, and Mary simply smiled, a knowing glint in her eye.

“Oh _Zelda,”_ Mary teased. “Do you need some release before we start the day?”

Zelda had started to slowly grind herself against Mary’s thigh, palms flat on each side of the bed, near Mary’s head.

Zelda let out a little pant, her eyes shut. Mary pulled Zelda’s hips down against her thigh, adding more pressure. A desperate groan bubbled up out of Zelda’s throat, and Mary kept her hands on Zelda’s hips, holding her steady. Zelda sat up a bit, and Mary moved her leg so Zelda could still grind against it at a comfortable angle. 

“What do you need, Zelda?” Mary looked at Zelda’s face, her eyes clenched, mouth open as she panted. Her hair hung around her face, swaying gently with each thrust of her hips.

“I need... _fuck._ ” 

“You are _so_ beautiful, Zelda. I could watch you like this all day.” 

Zelda whined, getting closer to her goal. Mary smiled at her, the way the flush traveled across her body. She just knew that meant that Zelda had also gone red between her thighs. She wanted to see it, wanted to taste her, all swollen and aroused. 

“You’re so close sweetheart, just a little bit more—ah, there you go.”

Zelda went stiff, jerking against Mary’s thigh as she came, a bit of wetness rushing out of her. Mary slid her thigh back down to the bed, and Zelda sank down against her, coming down from her high. Mary brought a hand up to the back of Zelda’s head, and stroked the hair there. Her other hand came to rest on Zelda’s back.

“How do you feel? Relaxed?” 

Zelda turned her head into the crook of Mary’s neck, and placed a small kiss there.

“Most definitely. I think I may be able to breathe a bit easier now, thank you.”

“We’re going to have a beautiful day, don’t you worry.”

“I’ll try not to.” Zelda yawned, and sat up. 

“Wait...what time is it?” Mary asked, not wanting to leave the bed just yet. Zelda looked over at the clock.

“It’s just after six.”

“Good. Come back here. We can cuddle for a little bit.”

Zelda gladly slid back under the covers, arms wrapping around Mary. 

“I can’t wait to marry you, Zelda. Soon.”

“Soon my love, soon.” 

 

* * *

 

When Zelda woke again, Mary was leaning over her and speaking in a soft voice. She opened her eyes, squinting in the bright sunlight.

“Hey gorgeous. Feeling a bit more rested?” Mary cupped Zelda’s cheek, her hand warm and soft.

“Yes. Is it time to get ready?”

“Mhmm.” Mary sat on the edge of the bed, maintaining eye contact. “Hilda came in and woke me up about thirty minutes ago.”

“Was she upset that I slept here?” 

“Not really. I told her you needed some extra comfort, and that I told you to stay.”

Zelda sat up, and pulled the covers back before standing. 

“I guess I had better go and get ready. Sabrina’s classmate—the one who is doing the makeup for us—she should be here in an hour or so.”

Zelda stood in front of Mary, who was still seated, and gently nudged her knees apart. She hugged her, resting her chin on top of Mary’s head. Zelda felt Mary’s hands slowly rub over her back.

“God it’s so hard to leave you.” Zelda moved her forehead to rest against Mary’s, hands caressing her shoulders. “I mean, I know we’re just down the hall from each other, and we are going to be married in just a few short hours, but...part of me just wants to stay here in bed with you all day.”

“I know Zelda, I know. I feel the same way. Just think—by this time tomorrow, we will be on a plane to Hawaii. Just you and I, and then we will have almost two weeks where we can just stay in bed as long as we like.”

“You’re right.” Zelda gave Mary a quick peck, then kissed her forehead. “I’ll see you in a bit. I think Hilda is bringing up some breakfast.” Zelda stepped away from Mary, and blew her a kiss. There was a spring in her step as she went back to her room, and stepped inside.

_Deep breaths Spellman. Today is the day. You deserve this happiness._

Zelda took a shower, and blow dried her hair, taking her time as she ran the brush through. She was just finishing up when she heard Hilda’s voice calling for her.

“Zelda? Zelds?” 

Zelda turned off the hairdryer, and walked away from the vanity. 

“Hey!”

Hilda had a tray with breakfast on it. There was a small bowl of oatmeal, a plate with bacon and eggs, toast on it, and a glass of orange juice. 

“Where do you want me to set this?”

“On the nightstand over there. Thank you Hilda.”

Hilda sat the tray down and squealed as she looked at Zelda. 

“Ooooh!!! I can’t believe it is happening today! And you look so lovely, Zelda!”

Zelda looked nonplussed, a slight frown on her face.

“Hilda. I am literally wearing my slip.”

“It’s lovely nonetheless. Oh, you two make me so happy. I can’t wait for the ceremony.” 

“I’m pretty excited too, Hildie. I really love her. I can’t believe I get to spend the rest of my life with her.”

“Well you better believe it Zelda. You both deserve this happiness and love.”

Zelda surged forward and hugged Hilda, tears in her eyes. Hilda wrapped her arms around Zelda and held her tightly

“Thank you for everything, Hilda. Every single thing that you did that had a part in helping us get here, being a friend to Mary, helping me take care of her when she was sick, just _everything_. I truly don’t deserve to have a sister like you.”

“Aw Zelds…” Hilda tried to swallow her tears, and her nose was starting to run. “You know you and Mary fell in love on your own, right? You both are such beautiful souls, and I am so happy that you found one another. You are absolutely _lovely_ together. Any part that I may have played in the whole thing is merely coincidental.” Hilda gave Zelda a wink. Zelda laughed, and sniffled, wiping at her nose.

“I love you, Hilda.”

“I love you too, Zelda. Now go and get some food in yourself before the makeup artist arrives. We are leaving shortly after that.”

“Okay.” 

Zelda went into the bathroom and plugged in her curling iron before coming back over to the tray of food Hilda brought up. She tried to have some bacon and eggs, but her nerves made everything taste like cardboard. When she swallowed, the food sat heavy in her stomach, leaving a sick feeling behind. Her mouth was dry and she took a sip of orange juice. 

_I have to eat something…_

Zelda took a few bites of toast and swallowed, the bread thick in her throat. She drank some more orange juice to wash it down, and she gazed out the window.

_I never could have imagined my life ending up this way. I am happy, in love, and getting married to the love of my life!_

Zelda felt a flutter in her belly, and stopped trying to eat, her appetite dwindling away to nohting. She felt nervous yet excited at the same time. She went to the bathroom to curl the ends of her hair, and smiled every time she looked at herself in the mirror.

Just down the hallway, a few rooms over, Mary was eating her breakfast, with a giddy grin on her face. 

_I cannot believe I get to marry Zelda! Oh my goodness...I never expected my crush to end up like this!_

Mary’s eyes watered as she looked at her dress, hanging up in the closet. Nothing in her life had felt more right. 

 

* * *

 

Hilda gave Zelda and Mary some time to get ready, and got ready herself while she made some last-minute preparations. Once she had made a few phone calls to Sabrina to ensure that everything was okay at the glen, she went to Mary’s room and knocked on the door. 

“Mary?”

“Yes Hilda?” Mary pulled the door open, and Hilda brought her hands up to cover her mouth, her eyes instantly filling with tears.

“Look at you! You are beautiful!” 

Mary blushed, and looked down at herself. She was wearing a floor length burgundy dress, that was mainly made of lace. The lace formed flowers all over the bodice of the dress, and onto the short sleeves. It wasn’t a very heavy dress, and wasn’t overly flashy, but it was beautiful. She had her hair pinned back on one side, and draped over her shoulder on the other. She traded her glasses for contacts, and Hilda saw the beautiful matching eye makeup that had been delicately brushed on, making her blue eyes pop.

“So, I thought it would be nice to get some shots of you seeing Zelda for the first time, in her dress. Ambrose is with her in the reading room right now. The lighting is just right and everything. I was told to come and collect you. Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Mary nodded, her hands starting to shake. Hilda noticed as she took her hand in her own.

“Let’s take some deep breaths, okay? You look so beautiful, and Zelda is happy to see you. She is quite nervous herself, actually.” Hilda spoke as she led Mary down the hall. Mary nodded in response. Hilda stopped outside of a room, and gave a knock.

“We’re here!” 

Mary took a deep breath, and she could hear Ambrose muttering to himself as he got in place with the camera. She covered her eyes as Hilda opened the door, and gently guided her inside the room. 

“Okay just stay right here. I’m going to move out of the shot. We’ll tell you when you can look at each other.”

Hilda backed up out of the room, trying to make sure she wasn’t in any of the shots. Ambrose took a few shots of both Zelda and Mary before they saw each other.

“Zelda, you can turn around now.” Hilda announced. “And Mary, you can uncover your eyes.”

Mary took her hands down from her face, and gasped. As Zelda turned around. Both women started to cry, smiles on their faces. 

“Oh my god...Zelda...you look _beautiful_! Your hair! Your makeup, your dress—everything!” 

Zelda was wearing a long dress as well, only hers was a deep, navy blue. Where Mary’s dress had short sleeves, Zelda’s was sleeveless, save for two straps holding the dress up. She had on her pearls around her neck, and wore pearl bracelets. Her auburn locks hung over both of her shoulders, perfectly coiffed. The makeup artist had done dark, dramatic makeup for Zelda, and it made Mary’s stomach flip nervously.

“Mary...I...I’m speechless! I...you’re so beautiful...I’m so nervous…” 

Zelda closed her eyes as more tears rolled down her cheeks. Mary walked over to embrace her, and gently rocked her from side to side.

“It’s okay Zelda. This day is for us. You don’t have to worry about a single thing.”

Mary gave Zelda a kiss, grateful for their matte lipstick. She held Zelda’s face between her hands and looked into her eyes. Zelda took a deep breath, and let herself relax under Mary’s gaze.

“There she is. My gorgeous Zelda.” 

“I love you, Mary.” Zelda’s voice sounded small and innocent, and her bottom lip still trembled a bit as she tried to hold back the sobs that still wanted to spring forth.

“I love you more.” Mary kissed Zelda again, and gave her another hug, letting the embrace linger.

They were too wrapped up in one another to even notice Ambrose in the background, snapping photo after photo. 

“You ladies ready to leave?” Hilda popped her head into the room, having come back upstairs after clearing away their breakfast trays from earlier.

“Yes! I can’t wait to marry this woman!” Zelda exclaimed. 

They carefully made their way downstairs, and Hilda disappeared in the kitchen. 

“The car is open! I’ll be right there!” She called from around the corner. Zelda and Mary both held their dresses up carefully as they went down the stairs of the front porch and got in the car. Zelda looked over at Mary and smiled. Mary gave her a kiss on her cheek.

“Are you nervous?”

“Yeah.” Zelda’s voice was shaky, but she still managed a smile.

“You don’t have to be nervous. It’s going to be fine.” 

Zelda nodded, and saw Hilda walking down the steps with her purse in one hand and travel mug in the other. When she got to the car, she sat down and let out a relieved sigh. She turned around to look at both Mary and Zelda, and smiled. She then handed the travel mug to Zelda.

“What is this for?” Zelda asked, confused.

“I made you a smoothie. I didn’t want you to go through with things on an empty stomach.”

Zelda blushed, and looked at the mug. She took a careful sip and swallowed.

“Zelda you didn’t eat?” Mary asked, concern on her face.

“I…” Zelda looked away, embarrassed. “Sometimes, when I have a big event or something coming up...I just can’t eat. I feel sick if I do.” 

“I figured I’d make her something easy to get down.” Hilda said, reaching out to pat Zelda’s leg.

“You don’t have to be nervous sweetheart. It’s just me.” Mary took Zelda’s hand and kissed it.

“I know,” Zelda replied. “It’s just...sometimes this happens. Every now and then. I’ll be fine though.”

Mary wrapped her arm around Zelda’s shoulders and gave her a hug. 

“Well. Let’s get you two married!” Hilda exclaimed as she started the car. They pulled out onto the dirt road that led from the house and set out for the glen. Ambrose left almost an hour ahead of them, with a friend. Sabrina, Harvey, and Dr. Cee were already there, for they had set up a few things earlier that morning. 

Zelda held Mary’s hand the entire drive to their picnic-turned-wedding location. Hilda had made a playlist filled with some of her favorite love songs, and let it play softly as they drove along. Zelda almost started to cry when _Come Away With Me_ started to play, Norah Jones’ dulcet tones tugging at her heartstrings. She wiped her eyes, and sniffled. Mary leaned over with a tissue and patted the tears away, cautious of her makeup. 

“Better now?”

“Better.”

Mary leaned her head against Zelda’s and traced her thumb over the back of Zelda's hand, their hands still intertwined.

 

* * *

 

When they finally pulled off the side of the road, Zelda noticed a few other cars parked. She took a final sip of her smoothie and sat it down in the cupholder. Hilda parked the car, and sent a text message. She then stood up and opened the door for Mary and Zelda. Mary stepped out first, and held out a hand to Zelda. 

“Watch your head.”

Zelda stepped out into the temperate May air, and tilted her head back, taking a deep breath. 

“This is it. Are you ready?” Zelda asked, giving Mary’s hand a squeeze.

“More than ever.”

“Hey you two! Sabrina walked over, and had two bouquets in her hands. There were deep burgundy roses mixed in with smaller pale pink ones, some daisies, and different sprigs of green plants. 

“Wow you both look _so_ pretty!” Sabrina exclaimed. “I’m so happy for you both. Truly.”

“Thank you Sabrina.” Zelda smiled at her niece, and felt giddy. “So how are we going to get down to the glen? Last I recall, it was a bit of a hike.”

“Harvey has taken care of that! We actually came out and cleared a path, and he borrowed his dad’s golf cart to take you guys to the spot, so you don’t have to worry about getting dirty.”

“That was so thoughtful of him.”

“If you guys are ready, we can actually head over now.”

Mary and Zelda looked at each other, and nodded. They walked over to where the trees parted and saw Hilda sitting in the driver’s seat of a golf cart. Sabrina hopped in on the passenger side. And Zelda and Mary carefully climbed into the back seat. Hilda drove them down the newly erected path down to their glen. It only took about 2 minutes, compared to when they had covered the distance on foot. When the cart came to a stop, Hilda and Sabrina got off and each offered a hand to Zelda and Mary. Zelda could hear some classical music playing, and went to look around the trees. There was a small speaker set up near to where they were, and it was hooked up to a generator. She turned and looked across the glen. About 100 feet away, a small trellis shaped like an arch had been sat up, and Ambrose stood nearby, camera in hand. There was a Dr. Cee stood near the arch, and—

“Oh my god Anne and Ed came!” 

“I know. I invited then.” Hilda winked, and Mary felt a surge of affection for her new sister.

“That was very kind of you to do that, Hilda.”

“I figured it was the least I could do! Hey, you two take your time. Sabrina and I are going to go over there.

Zelda turned to Mary, and took one of her hands in her own.

“You ready to do this?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go get married.”

 

* * *

 

The ceremony only took about 20 minutes. Mary and Zelda had planned it so that they wouldn’t be standing for long. It turned out working out well, especially since Anne and Ed were there, and they couldn’t stand for long. Dr. Cee officiated the ceremony. He was quite excited to finally use his wedding officiant license. Hilda had mentioned to Mary that he was ordained, and wanted to officiate their wedding. Both Zelda and Mary agreed almost instantly to let him. 

The two women had written their own vows, and could barely get through them. Zelda let Mary go first, and she had written up a sweet poem recounting the first time they met, and the subsequent growth of their relationship after that. It made Zelda giggle, and she couldn’t stop smiling, tears of joy rolling down her face. When it was Zelda’s turn, she was already crying before she even said the first word. Hilda had handed her a handkerchief, and Mary rubbed her back, as she got the first few words out with tremendous effort. Zelda, who wasn’t one to get personal, had included a few short excerpts from her journal. She didn’t let anyone know where they were from, though. She started by reading a few sentences from when she had been depressed, thinking she would never find love again. She then countered it with an excerpt that she wrote after she first kissed Mary. Her tears flowed the entire time, and there wasn’t a dry eye present. 

Mary then gave Zelda the ring she had picked out for her, and they kissed. Dr. Cee said the final pronouncement, and they kissed again, took some more photos, and began to retreat from the glen. Harvey, Sabrina, Ambrose, and his friend stayed behind to clean up the decorations. Hilda and Dr. Cee drove Mary and Zelda back to the house, and Anne and Ed followed behind them. Mary had Hilda recreate the food that her and Zelda had on their first date, only this time a wedding cake was included. They all spent the evening around the Spellman’s dining room table socializing. Sabrina and her friends kept Anne and Ed laughing over board games, and Lance and Hilda had a lively conversation with Ambrose and his friend. Zelda whispered in Mary’s ear, and took her by the hand, sneaking out of the room. She led her to the family room, the music from the other room drifting over to where they were. Zelda looked at Mary, a question dancing around on her face.

“Yes?”

“Would you like to dance?” 

She stepped back from Mary, and held out her hand. A smile broke out across Mary’s face.

“Of _course_.”

Zelda took her in her arms, and they began to sway gently from side to side.

“Today has been absolutely perfect, wouldn’t you say?”

“It has. I can’t believe it finally happened! I remember your proposal like it was just yesterday.”

“Oh god that proposal.” Zelda blushed, and twirled Mary around with one arm, before bringing her back close to her again. 

“Now that was an embarrassing proposal.” Zelda said with a smile. They continued to sway around the open space in the room, Zelda cautious of where they stepped, trying to avoid backing into furniture. She moved them down towards the chapel, just on the other side of the staircase. Mary stepped out this time, and gestured for Zelda to twirl. She did, and spun back to Mary, sliding her arms around her. 

“I didn’t think it was embarrassing, sweetheart. I thought it was incredibly sweet.” Mary gave Zelda a few kisses in a row, and then kissed her nose. “I was mostly worried about you, because you nearly made yourself sick. You were so scared.”

“I _was_ scared. I’m surprised I wasn’t sick!” 

“I’m just glad you asked me. Even if you didn’t ask then, my answer would have, and will always be yes.”

Zelda stopped their gentle swaying and leaned in to kiss Mary. Their noses bumped against one another, and Zelda chuckled into Mary’s mouth. Her laughter died down though, when she felt Mary slip her tongue inside her mouth. Zelda opened an eye to make sure no family members were coming, and she let herself get lost in the kiss, her legs trembling. Mary turned and backed her up towards the chapel, closing the door behind them. 

 

* * *

 

The next morning found the newlyweds sleepily standing around in an airport in Boston. Zelda slipped her hand into Mary’s as they stood at their gate, waiting to board their flight. Zelda excused herself to the restroom, and Mary smiled as she watched her walk away. They were finally on their way to Hawaii for their honeymoon, and both women were beyond excited. They had to wake up early, for it had been a three hour drive to get to the airport. Mary was especially tired. She had tossed and turned all night, anxious to be flying for the first time. She wasn’t usually a person who gave into worry, and typically handled her anxieties and fears well; however, this was something she had never done before, and it scared her. 

_At least I have Zelda with me…_

“Mary?”

She didn’t register Zelda’s voice at first. Mary had tried to center herself while Zelda went to the bathroom. Her eyes were closed, and she had an arm across her midsection. She felt Zelda’s fingers tuck some of her hair behind her ear, and opened her eyes when she felt Zelda’s lips brush her cheek. Zelda let her mouth linger near Mary’s ear, and she slipped an arm around her waist.

“We’re almost on the plane. Then you can sleep all the way there if you like.”

Mary nodded in response, and turned to give Zelda a quick peck, her lips minty from her toothpaste. She snuck a glance at her beautiful wife, when she was busy reading the screen overhead with their flight information. Zelda was extremely stylish, wearing a light blue silk blouse that was rolled up to her elbows. She had it tucked into a pair of jeans that hugged her curves, and wore a pair of practical black flats. She also wore a backpack that contained a change of clothes for both of them, some books, and their personal toiletries, and they both had their purses. Mary wanted to crawl into Zelda’s lap and sleep. 

An announcement came over the loudspeaker at their gate, and Mary saw a woman at the counter near where they would be boarding.

_“Good morning. We will begin boarding flight #3477 with direct service to Maui in just a minute here shortly, starting with members of our Golden Wings club, as well as guests seated in First Class.”_

Mary smiled when she looked down at the boarding pass she had brought up on her phone. Zelda made sure they had first class tickets, sparing no expense for the honeymoon. She had wanted everything to be as perfect and as comfortable as possible for her new wife. Mary turned her hand over, and looked at the ring on her finger. She would still have to get used to seeing that there. Her stomach gave an excited flutter as she turned to look at Zelda, who was looking across the airport, lost in thought. 

_She is so beautiful. I truly can’t believe that I get to spend the rest of my life with this woman…_

Mary looked back towards the gate and saw that a flight attendant had moved next to a small scanner, and was ready to check the passengers’ tickets.

_“Alright Golden Wings members and passengers seated in First Class you are welcome to board now.”_

Mary moved forward, and hadn’t noticed Zelda move next to her, a gentle hand at the small of her back. Zelda ushered Mary ahead of her, and she walked up to the flight attendant. She saw how the passenger in front of her had held their phone out to scan the ticket, and she did the same.

“Thank you ma’am have a nice flight.” 

Mary nodded with a quick smile and walked forward into the passenger boarding bridge, waiting for Zelda to catch up to her. She put her phone in her back pocket and wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans. Zelda was suddenly next to her, and they walked onto the plane. Flight attendants greeted them as they entered the plane, and it made Mary feel welcomed. They found their seats with little difficulty, and Zelda let Mary have the window seat. 

“Would you ladies like to order anything while we wait for the rest of the flight to board?” A kind flight attendant was suddenly by their seats, a bright smile across her face. Zelda looked over at Mary.

“You want anything?” She took Mary’s hand in her own, lacing their fingers together. 

“No, I think maybe just some water?”

Zelda kissed Mary’s hand then placed her other hand on top of their conjoined hands, bringing them to rest in her lap.

“We’ll just have water, thank you.”

The flight attendant disappeared, and Zelda turned to look back at Mary.

“You’re sweating. Are you feeling okay?” Zelda reached over to cup Mary’s chin, and turned her face towards her.

“I’m just a little nervous and tired, that’s all.”

Zelda took Mary’s glasses off, and stuck them in the pocket in the seat in front of her. When she sat back in the seat, she took Mary’s face between both of her hands, and kissed her forehead.

“You know that I’m here for you, and that you don’t have to be scared, right? You’ve been there for me so many times before. Let me be there for you.”

Mary nodded, and leaned to rest her head on Zelda’s shoulder. Zelda slipped her arm around Mary, and rubbed her arm through the fabric of her sweater.

“Just rest. We’ll be fine.”

“I love you Zelda.”

“I love you too, my darling.” 

The flight attendant came with two bottles of water and handed them to Zelda. Zelda sat them down in the seat next to her, and leaned back in to Mary. 

“I can’t wait to be lying on the beach with you,” Mary mumbled, trying to picture their destination, her only reference for Hawaii coming from movies, and pictures she had seen online. “Nearly two weeks of bliss, I can’t wait.”

“You mean a lifetime of bliss. This is only the beginning.” Zelda countered, turning a bit in her seat so she could reach her other arm around Mary. A voice came over the plane speakers, and announced the details of their flight, a 10-hour flight to Maui, some specifics about the plane, safety information, and even more information in a safety video. Mary sat up to watch the video, and started to get uncomfortable when they showed what to do in case of a water landing. Zelda sensed her discomfort and leaned over.

“Mary.”

“Hm?” The brunette turned to look at Zelda, who kissed her, quickly.

“It’s going to be okay. You’ll see. Once we take off, we should be fine.”

The flight attendants walked through the cabin, checking everyones’ seatbelts, and checked the overhead bins one last time. Zelda took Mary’s hand in hers, and kept placing kisses against the back. Mary looked out the window and let out a small gasp as the plane started to back away from the gate.

“So we’re just going to roll backwards a bit, and then we’ll turn around and head for the runway. We’re going to go slowly…” Zelda spoke calmly, but loud enough for Mary to hear. As she spoke, the plane started to taxi towards the runway. 

“Okay, so now, we’re getting in line to take off. There is probably a plane or two ahead of us, so we’ll just wait our turn here.”

Mary nodded, and gave Zelda a small smile. After a few minutes, the plane started to move forward again, and Zelda placed her free hand on top of hers and Mary’s joined ones. 

“And now, it’s our turn to take off. You can hear the mechanics of the plane.” The plane gave a small jolt, and they started to pick up speed, going faster and faster, before finally rising off of the ground. The plane jolted around, dropping slightly. Mary placed a hand over her stomach.

“You doing okay?”

“I think so.” Mary kept her breathing as even as possible, looking out the window as the city got smaller and smaller beneath them. They kept ascending, turned a bit, until eventually, they leveled out, and the plane flew straight.

“Did you want some water?” Zelda handed the bottle over to Mary, and she took it from Zelda, unscrewing it and taking a few sips. She looked across the aisle at the people across the row from them, and saw the passengers sitting behind them. Everyone else was completely relaxed, some even snoring. 

_Am I the only one who is terrified?_

“What’re you thinking?” Zelda asked, studying Mary’s face.

“I just...I think I’m the only person here who hasn’t flown before.”

“Well. There’s a first time for everything. I’m just glad I get to be here with you to help you through things.” 

“Me too.”

 

* * *

 

The rest of the flight was rather uneventful. Mary did feel queasy a few times when they had some slight turbulence, but it was from nerves rather than airsickness. It was one thing to not have traveled by air before, and another to be experiencing turbulence for the first time. It really scared her, and Zelda was calm and reassuring. She rubbed Mary’s stomach, and gave her some ginger candy. Mary felt better just having Zelda there, next to her.

Aside from eating lunch (they slept through breakfast) and watching one of the in-flight movies, they spent most of the flight asleep, blankets tucked around both of them. They had been asleep when their flight was preparing for landing. Mary woke up first, and lifted up the window shade.The daylight rushed in, drawing a gasp from her. There were cotton candy clouds in the sky. She looked down and saw the beautiful aqua-colored water below them. There were some islands in the distance, surrounded by the seemingly endless ocean. Mary looked over at Zelda, whose hand was tucked under her chin as she slept. She didn’t want to wake her, but she also didn’t want her to miss out on the view.

“Zelda.” Mary gently put her hand on the sleeping woman’s shoulder. She leaned in and placed a kiss against her lips. She felt Zelda respond beneath her mouth, and lean forward into the kiss.

“Mmn my darling,” Zelda spoke, her voice raspy from sleep. She placed a cool hand against Mary’s cheek.

“Sorry to wake you up. I didn’t want you to miss this view.”

Mary sat back against her seat so Zelda could lean in front of her to look out of the window. Soft auburn hair brushed across Mary’s shoulder and collarbone. She watched the way the light caught in Zelda’s hair, the way her green eyes reflected the blue that was outside, all around them, the way there was a slight flush to Zelda’s face, with a light dusting of freckles. Her wife was _stunning_. Mary’s breath caught in her throat, and she felt tears prickle at her eyes, and she couldn’t wipe them away without Zelda noticing. She turned to look out the window, and let out a small, choked sob.

“Hey.” 

Zelda was gently turning Mary’s face back towards her when she saw the tears. 

“Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

Mary gave Zelda a watery smile, the love evident in her eyes. 

“I’m just overwhelmed...overwhelmed by my love for you, your beauty, the fact that I get to be your wife and we are on our honeymoon right now. I know I keep saying it, but I really am lucky.” 

Zelda kissed Mary, and tasted her tears on her lips. 

“I think we both are lucky, my dear.”

Mary held onto Zelda’s hand as they landed, and all the way to the gate. Zelda gave her a kiss when the plane rolled to a stop.

“You did it! I’m so proud of you!” 

“Thanks.” Mary blushed and licked her lips, a small smile forming on her face. Zelda kissed her on the cheek, over a dimple.

“God you’re adorable.” Zeda blurted out, and Mary blushed again. Zelda smiled at Mary’s reaction. 

_I’m going to tell her she is beautiful every single day…_

The process of getting their luggage and their rental car took them about another hour. By the time they actually sat down in the rental car, they were exhausted and sweaty. Zelda’s blouse clung to her where she was sweating, and Mary had kicked off her tennis shoes, and turned all of the air vents towards her.

“Okay, so it says we are about 35 minutes from the resort. Do you want to grab something to eat on the way there, or just eat at the resort?” Zelda looked up from the screen mounted on the dashboard, looking over the directions.

“I think I just want to get there. I really want to take a shower. I am not used to this kind of humidity!” Mary pulled down the visor in front of her and looked at her hair in the mirror. Zelda put the car in drive, and they started down the highway to their home for the next 2 weeks. 

Mary hadn’t realized that she fell asleep until she felt Zelda’s hand cupping her cheek, and brushing over her hairline.

“Hmm?” Mary looked around, confused.

“We’re here sweetheart. I’m going to put the car in valet parking, so we have to get out now. Don’t worry about our luggage, though. That’s already loaded up for us.”

Mary gathered her belongings and got out of the car. Zelda was by her side, and took her hand as they walked inside. The resort was impressive, it spanned out over several buildings, and was right on the beach. They walked over a footbridge that crossed a pond on their way to the front desk. Zelda got them checked in, and got their key card. A bellhop informed them that their luggage had been delivered to their room, and to let them know if they needed anything else. Zelda thanked him, and pulled Mary close as they walked down the hallway to their room. 

“I’ve never been anywhere like this in my entire life!” Mary exclaimed, looking all around as they walked, trying to take everything in. She stopped by a large window that showed the white sand beach outside, waves breaking on the shore. Out the other window, lush tropical plants sprawled out around a park, palm trees lined the sidewalk. Back on the beach side, there were private cabanas, and the sea breeze made the curtains flap in the wind.

“I know. I wanted this to be special for you. We aren’t getting any younger, and I want you to have an experience you’ll never forget.” 

Mary felt tears pooling in her eyes, and she and kissed Zelda.

“Come on. Let’s get to our room so we can freshen up.” 

They had a suite, of course. Zelda hadn’t been joking when she said she spared no expense for their honeymoon. The whole suite was like a furnished bungalow apartment. Zelda had booked them a room on the first floor, so they had their own private beach area behind their room there was a cabana that sat outside, as well as some lounge chairs. The large flatscreen TV that was on the living room wall had a message on it that said:  _Welcome Mary & Zelda! Enjoy Your Stay In Paradise! _

There was a full-sized fridge, a wet bar area, and a mini-fridge filled with wine. When they walked through to the bedroom they saw that their luggage had been stacked neatly in the corner. The bed was massive, and it had a view of the ocean as well. On top of the bed there was an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne in it. A card that was sat on the bed in front of the bucket read:

**_We personally wanted to welcome you both to Seven Sisters Luxury Resort, as you celebrate your new life together. Here is a complimentary bottle of champagne. There are chocolate covered strawberries in the fridge. They have been prepared by Chef Sal, one of our many talented chefs we have here on site. We hope you enjoy your stay, and if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call us at the front desk!_ **

**_-Seven Sisters Management_ **

“Whatcha got there?” Zelda asked, her hands slipping around Mary’s waist. 

“It’s a note. They sent us a bottle of champagne too, and said that there are chocolate covered strawberries in the fridge.”

“Ooh. That sounds yummy. What d’you say, we indulge in a few and then go look at the ocean?”

“I’d like that. Can we order some dinner first? Maybe we can have it delivered to our cabana.”

“Of course sweetheart. Get whatever you’d like.” Zelda kissed Mary’s shoulder. “There’s a room service menu on the coffee table. I’m going to change.” 

Zelda released Mary from her grip and went to unpack her suitcase. She took out each item and sat them down on the bed. She reached into one of the inner pockets and withdrew something special she had brought along. It was a g-spot vibrator she had ordered, and couldn’t wait to use with Mary. Zelda tucked it away under a pile of her clothing, and smiled to herself. She quickly changed into her swimsuit, a simple black one-piece, and unrolled her sunhat and sarong. 

“Mary?” Zelda called out, as she pulled a bottle of sunscreen out of the suitcase.

“Yes? The brunette appeared in the doorway of the bedroom, now barefoot and pantless in just her shirt.

“Do you think you could get my back for me?” Zelda held out the bottle of sunscreen, and Mary took it, fingertips brushing over Zelda’s she swiped Zelda’s hair over one shoulder, and started to place kisses down her neck, and across her shoulders.

“Look at all of this delicious skin. We have to make sure it doesn’t burn.”

Mary squeezed some of the sunscreen into her palms, and began to rub it over Zelda’s back. 

“You know, this reminds me of when I used to come to you for massages. You were always so tender and careful with me.”

Mary chuckled, and continued to rub the sunscreen in.

“I felt very drawn to you Zelda, even back at our first session. I don’t know why, but it makes sense now.”

“Does it?” Zelda turned to look over her shoulder and winked.

“It does. You took my breath away from the first moment I saw you. And now we’re here, and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. Thank you for choosing me, for loving me.”

_“Mary…”_ Zelda had started to cry, and turned around to hug Mary. she pressed her lips to Mary’s as she let out a series of small, soft sobs. Mary could feel Zelda’s bottom lip tremble under her mouth, and she broke the kiss to hold Zelda’s face between her hands.

_“Shh_ , it’s okay.” Mary now had tears of her own rolling down her cheeks. 

“Mary…” Zelda sniffled, the tip of her nose pink. 

“Yes my love?” Mary brushed away Zelda’s tears, and looked back and forth between her still watery eyes. 

“You are the most beautiful thing that’s ever happened to me.” 

“I feel the same way. I’m so lucky to have you in my life...oh my god—I’ve totally become one of those people in the romantic movies!” Zelda started to laugh, and Mary smiled, shaking her head in wonder.

“You truly are something, Zelda Spellman.”

“I don’t mean to laugh, I just never thought I’d be this sappy and saying things like this, and crying all the time.”

“There is nothing wrong with sappy, you know?” Mary rubbed her hands up and down Zelda’s arms.

“Yeah, you’re right. I _do_ love you, though. And I’m happy.”

“I know.” Mary gave Zelda a sweet peck, a demure look on her face when she pulled back. “C’mon. Let’s go check out the beach before our food gets here.”

They went out their back door, hand in hand, giggling. 

 

* * *

 

“Well that went well.” Mary had an indiscernible look on her face as she stood dripping wet near the back door. The brunette was still fully-clothed, save for her bare feet. About 10 minutes earlier, she had gone out to stick her feet in the water with Zelda, who went out for a quick dip. 

She had watched Zelda step into the water before rolling up her pants and walking near the waves that had teased her with each crash. 

“Come in! The water is great!” Zelda called, already in up to her waist. 

“I don’t have my suit on right now!” Mary yelled back over the sound of the waves. Zelda walked closer, heading back in her direction. When she got closer, and eventually was standing directly in front of Mary, she smiled and rested her hands on her hips.

“Let’s get you back out here after we eat dinner. I think you’ll really like it.”

“I...I guess. It’s just…” Mary looked at Zelda from behind her sunglasses.

“What is it sweetheart?” Zelda took Mary’s hands in her own, her fingers still wet.

“I don’t really know how to swim. I mean, I can get by in a pool, sure, but the ocean? That’s another thing.” 

“Don’t worry my love. I won’t let anything happen to you, okay?” Zelda gave Mary a kiss, and slid her arms around her in an embrace, though she was still wet.

“I guess I could go out a _little_ bit further,” Mary said against Zelda’s lips. Zelda took her hand and walked with her to where the water touched her knees. She let out a surprised squeal as the water splashed up around her. Zelda kept a hold on her hand, smiling at her reaction to being in the sea for the first time.

“This is lovely, Zelda, but I do want to be in the room when our food gets there.”

“I forgot about that. I’m sorry. I got so caught up in the beauty of this place that I forgot how hungry you were! Let’s go back inside. The beach isn’t going anywhere. Besides, we have it right in our backyard.” 

Mary turned and trudged through the water with Zelda. She started to hum to herself, not paying attention to where she was going. The waves came up again, and she didn’t see a small rock that was buried in the sand. Mary stubbed her toe on the rock, and lost her footing.

“Oops!”  She exclaimed, as she fell to her hands and knees with a splash. Zelda came over to help her up before she got completely soaked. A small wave came and crashed over both of them. When Zelda sat back up, she grabbed her sunhat, which was floating away, and wiped the burning saltwater out of her eyes. Mary sat up, her back to Zelda. 

“Are you okay?”

Mary turned to look at Zelda, and saw the worried look on the redhead’s face.

“Looks like you got me in the water after all,” Mary laughed, and rubbed at her toe where it stung. The waves lapped around them, and she looked down at the patterns the water made in the sand as it ebbed and flowed. Water dripped off of her nose and earlobes, and her hair was starting to get frizzy. Zelda helped her up and they walked the short distance back to their suite. Their food arrived just as they were stepping back inside, and Zelda went to receive it from the delivery person. 

Zelda walked back through their suite looking for Mary, and heard the shower running. When she came around the corner to their bedroom, she saw the brunette standing outside of the shower, still in her wet clothes. She seemed to be daydreaming while she waited for the water to warm up. Zelda walked over to her, a hand coming to rest on her shoulder.

“Let’s get these wet clothes off of you.” Mary nodded and Zelda wordlessly began to undress her, each wet article of clothing landing on the floor with a _thwack_. Mary was shivering, and goosebumps formed across her skin.

“Come on. Get in here where it’s warmer.”

Zelda opened up the shower door and Mary stepped inside. Zelda followed her, stripping off her bathing suit in the process. They danced around each other in the shower, each of them washing off their day of travel, and the sea. Zelda stole a few kisses, of course, in-between washing her hair and body. Mary finished before her, and got out of the shower, disappearing into the bedroom with a towel around her body and one around her head. Zelda smiled as she rinsed away the last of the conditioner from her hair, and turned the shower off. 

_I truly am living my best life…_

When she came out into the bedroom, she saw Mary lying on the bed, towel still wrapped around her. Zelda climbed up onto the bed and knelt next to Mary, smiling when she turned her head to meet her eyes.

“I thought you were hungry.”

“I am...I just wanted to lie down for a few minutes. It feels good to not have anything to do, no appointments to take, no calls to make, just you and me, in paradise.”

Zelda climbed leaned forward to kiss Mary, and gently unwrapped her towel.

“I can think of several things I would like to do…”

She began to kiss her way down Mary’s neck, and stopped at the base to lick away the water droplets that sat in the dip between her collarbones. She flicked her tongue over the remaining water droplets on Mary’s shoulders, and then sat back up. 

“Why’d you stop?” Mary asked, opening her eyes to look up at Zelda. “I was enjoying that.”

“I uh...I wanted to try something, if you don’t mind.”

Mary leaned up on her elbows, and cocked her head slightly to the side.

“What did you have in mind?”

Zelda reached over under where her folded clothes sat, and withdrew the vibrator. A gorgeous red blush traveled across Mary’s cheeks, and down her chest.

“I know it is not for everyone, and you don’t have to have it inside if you don’t want to. I just...I wanted to see how you like something...different, more _direct_ stimulation.”

“Okay.”

“Really?” Zelda couldn’t hold her smile back.

“Yes. I trust you, Zelda. Tell me a bit more about it? I've never really invested in those kinds of things…”

Zelda leaned in close to Mary’s face, and gave her a kiss. 

“Well, this vibrator has several different vibration patterns. We can try them all if you like—though my personal favorite is the straightforward vibration, with no hesitation of variation. You can also slip it inside…” Zelda slid a hand down between Mary’s legs, and cupped her center. “...and there is a little part on top that provides external stimulation.” She kissed Mary again, and gave her a grin.

“Want to try it?” 

“Yes.”

“Okay. I’m not going to put it in you right now. I just want to see how you enjoy it on the outside first.” 

Mary nodded, and watched as Zelda turned on the toy. There was a buzzing noise, and she pushed the button twice more to give it some more power. 

“Ready?”

Mary nodded. Zelda watched her as she placed the toy against her clit. Mary squeezed her eyes shut and immediately started to squirm, overwhelmed by the sensations. Her legs fell open wider, and Zelda set her hand down on one of her inner thighs.

“Is it too much?”

“No, no. I’m just not used to it.” 

Zelda moved to kneel between Mary’s legs as she held the toy against her.

_“Ooohh..._ Zelda...I may not last long with this…”

“I know. That’s why I love these things. Quick relief.”

Mary ground her hips into the bed and her legs began to shake. Zelda looked down to see the wetness trickling out of the brunette as she started to move the toy in small circles.

“Zelda... _ugh_ …oh…oh _fuck!”_

Zelda began to smooth her free hand across Mary’s thigh, back and forth, as the brunette began to pant. Her face was scrunched up, and the towel that was wrapped around her head had come undone. Zelda kept moving the toy against her, adding a bit more pressure, and Mary groaned before crying out. A large gush of wetness forcefully rushed out of her, wetting the towel beneath her. Zelda turned off the toy and climbed back up to kiss Mary.

“So. I take it you liked that?”

Mary could only nod weakly, and let her eyes close. Zelda kissed her forehead, and then her cheek. She let her mouth linger by her ear, and gently nibbled at the lobe. 

“As you already know…” Zelda started, her voice a whisper. “There is nothing I love more than making you come all over the place.” 

“I did it again, didn’t I?” Mary opened her eyes, and moved to sit up. Zelda placed a hand on her chest, gently pushing her back down.

“Oh yes my love, and it was _hot_. I really could watch you do that all day. I might have to have a taste for dessert, after we have dinner.”

Mary blushed, and turned her face away from Zelda.

“I know I shouldn’t be embarrassed about it, but I was telling the truth when I said I never did it before, not until we started…” Mary blushed a bit. “...making love. Now it happens almost every single time.”

Zelda studied her profile, her jaw, her chin, and caressed her face. She ran her fingertips through some of the damp, curly tresses that surrounded her head like a lion’s mane.

“Well I love it. Never be ashamed of your body’s response. You are absolutely _magnificent_.”

Mary reached her hand up to her head.

“I won’t be if I don’t do something about this hair soon!”

“You are always beautiful, Mary, in any state. Let me brush it for you, after we eat. Is that okay?”

“Yes, yes. I’d like that.”

“Good. It’s your turn to get pampered and taken care of. I want you to enjoy every last minute we spend here.” 

  


* * *

 

Zelda had booked a massage and a facial for Mary, a few days into their honeymoon. She laughed to herself when she scheduled it, as the massager would now become the massaged. When Mary woke up the day of her appointment, Zelda was there next to her, a hand stroking through her hair. She had ordered breakfast to their room to be there when Mary woke up. They ate in bed, and took their time, kissing in-between bites. Zelda ran a bath for Mary, and climbed in with her. She washed her hair, and body, and the brunette nearly fell asleep under Zelda’s touch she was so relaxed.  The bathwater eventually ran lukewarm, bordering on cold, and they untangled themselves from each other, and got out. Zelda got dressed quickly, and told Mary that she had a surprise for her. They dressed in light clothing, and headed to the spa, hands linked together. Mary was curious, reading the signs around the resort in passing. Zelda brought her to a stop right outside of the entrance to the spa, and took her aside.

“So, we’re going to go into this spa here, because I’ve booked us a couples’ massage, as well as facial. I want you to relax, and get a massage for yourself, for once.”

Mary’s jaw trembled, and she had a look of appreciation and adoration on her face. 

“Really?”

“Yes.” Zelda nodded, and leaned in to brush her lips over Mary’s. 

“You were taking care of me long before I even knew how I felt about you. With every single massage, you worked your way into my heart just a little bit further. I want this to be a thank you, my gift to you in return for taking care of me. Thank you for listening to me all those times I was upset, and for always being your kind, sweet self. Thank you for being a friend when I needed one.” 

Mary nodded, tears now rolling down her cheeks. 

“I love you so much, Mary. I don’t even have the words.”

Mary surged forward and kissed Zelda, right there in the hallway of the spa. Zelda slid her arms around her waist, pressing their bodies together.

“I love you too, Zelda.”

Mary laid her head down on Zelda’s shoulder, and hugged her. 

“Now my only hope is that the massage therapist you get is good. I only want the best for you.”

“Well, if they aren’t good, then I can always have you work your magic on me back in the room...if you know what I mean.” Zelda winked and Mary turned red, biting her lip.

_“Zelda_.”

“What?” Zelda pretended to act shocked, and smirked at Mary as she led her into the spa with a hand resting on her backside.

  


* * *

 

The salty smell of the sea and a balmy breeze greeted Mary as she woke up, curled up on the double bed that was tucked into their cabana. She gathered her bearings and sat upright, moving to sit on the edge of the bed before walking to the cabana entrance to look outside. Zelda was standing in the water, waves coming up around her ankles. The redhead was a vision, hair blowing in the wind, a black kimono on over her one-piece swimsuit. Mary let her eyes drift down the length of the pale, delectable legs that were on display. She leaned against the outside frame of their cabana and smiled at Zelda. Zelda turned around, as if she felt Mary’s eyes on her, and gave a little wave. Mary waved back, and blew her a kiss. Zelda started to walk back up to the cabana. Mary felt her heart skip a beat as Zelda got closer. The woman looked like an angel, an ethereal goddess. 

“Hey beautiful. Did you have a nice nap?” Zelda asked, leaning in to kiss Mary’s forehead.

“I did, thanks to you.” Mary blushed and looked down at the edge of the cabana. Her and Zelda had been spending a few hours every afternoon in the cabana, just reading, sleeping, or talking, with the sound of the ocean waves in the background. Zelda hadn’t been kidding when she said she wanted Mary to be completely relaxed and pampered during their honeymoon. She had been spending plenty of time between Mary’s legs while they lounged in the cabana. Zelda would pull the front curtains shut, roll the heavier fabric down on the sides to give them some privacy. She then would pull Mary’s swimsuit bottom aside (or completely off, if she was wearing a two piece) and tenderly lick at her. 

Mary had never had such an attentive and caring lover as Zelda. She spent many an afternoon panting and writhing beneath Zelda’s mouth, cozy in their cabana, her screams lost to the crashing of the sea. 

They also spent a lot of time reading to each other, and making each other laugh. Food was ordered and delivered to their room and they would take it to the cabana, only leaving to use the restroom. They fed each other fruit while they talked about the rest of their lives together, and gave each other champagne-coated kisses. Neither woman had been so relaxed in their lives, completely filled up with love. Of course, they did do other activities, like exploring the island, hiking up waterfalls, and snorkeling. But the stillness of just being together, relaxed, was the best part.  

One night, a few days before they were scheduled to leave, they watched a fireworks display, put on by one of the local resorts. A towel was spread out across the sand, and Mary sat in-between Zelda’s legs, Zelda with her arms around her waist. 

“Mary.” Zelda spoke up, feeling emotional.

“Yes?”

“Isn’t it funny how a simple massage ended up like this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we’re here now, enjoying the last few days of our _honeymoon_. If you would’ve told me last year that I would end up marrying my massage therapist, I would’ve called you crazy. But everything just worked itself out. I fell in love, started seeing my shrink again, now am married to the love of my life.” 

Zelda kissed Mary on the cheek, and gave her a gentle squeeze. Mary turned around and knelt on either side of Zelda’s lap, straddling her. She took Zelda’s face between her hands, and watched the light of the fireworks reflected in Zelda’s eyes. 

“I think we ended up _exactly_ where we were meant to. I don’t believe in fate, but I just feel like this was meant to be, wouldn’t you say?”

“There is definitely no way that this wasn’t meant to be. I am so glad that we met. If someone would have told me that this is what I would end up with one day, then it would have made all of the pain and suffering worthwhile.”

Mary slid her arms around Zelda’s neck, and leaned in to kiss her, fireworks still going off behind them. Zelda leaned back slowly as they kissed, mouths still moving against one another, and laid down. Mary now was on top of Zelda, and Zelda wrapped her arms around her midsection.

“These fireworks are beautiful...but I’d definitely like to go make some of our own...when these are done.” Mary spoke against Zelda’s lips, kissing her repeatedly every few words.

“I think that is a great idea. I could use another good massage.” Zelda brought Mary’s hands up to her mouth, and kissed them, before holding them against her chest, near her heart. The double meaning wasn’t lost on Mary, and both women giggled, hugging each other as they laid on their beach towel, contemplating the rest of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit. I can't believe this is the end! I feel like I have been preparing myself for it with the past few chapters, so I'm not an emotional wreck. I think I mentioned it in a previous A/N, but I started this story back in February, as just 5 pages of smut. I had absolutely no intention of doing anything with it, and it turned out to be this. This was my first time ever writing a multi-chapter story. It wasn't easy at first, but as time went on I found myself excited to write what happened next. This truly has been a journey.
> 
> I'd like to thank Mandy and Gi, for being my original betas. They were the first people I ever talked to about Madam Spellman, way before I made any fandom friends. They were very encouraging when I first sent then those initial 5 pages of smut, and told me I should publish it. 
> 
> I'd also like to thank some of my MS group chat members for always being so lovely and encouraging, listening to me kvetch and bitch my way through repeated bouts of self-doubt and anxiety. Especially killyourstarlings. She is a saint.
> 
> Thank you to my friends JoyceWords and KC for encouraging me every time they saw me over the past 6 or so months, telling me to keep writing, and offering advice (as they both were writing their own works at the same time, one a novel, the other a research project). 
> 
> Thank you to all of you who kept coming back after each chapter, leaving lovely comments, tweeting me things, making memes (and fanart!), and for reblogging this story on tumblr. In the past I hadn't really interacted much with people from this fandom, so I don't know very many people. I was truly surprised to find out how many of you ehave enjoyed this story. Thank you all. 
> 
> Lastly, I would like to thank Miranda Otto and Michelle Gomez for bringing these characters to life. (side note: who else is ready to die over Mary next season? I know I am!). I really want to just thank Miranda and Michelle for being their lovely selves and just wonderful in general surrounding Madam Spellman and the fans. Their kindness and positive attitudes have been very inspiring during the writing process, and whenever they did something super soft and shippy I would run to go write some more of this fic, whilst I was feeling the feels. 
> 
> I should probably thank RAS for writing these characters too, even though I took my own liberties and made them my own. 
> 
> Thank you everyone. I hope you've enjoyed this story. Look out for more Spellwell on my page coming soon! :-)


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